Epaper – January 12 ISB 2021

Tuesday, 12 January, 2021 I 27 Jumada Al-Awwal, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 194 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

IndIa promotIng antI-pakIstan agenda: Ispr dg g

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Major General Iftikhar says army shouldn’t be dragged into politics; dismisses rumours about military holding talks with PDM Says COAS to meet families of Mach victims this week

RAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT

I

NTER-SERvICES Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar has said that India is involved in promoting anti-Pakistan agenda in six domains, which include abetting terrorism, targeting econ-

omy, using diplomacy, fomenting chaos, Kashmir and social issues.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, the ISPR chief said that European Union (EU) based DisinfoLab has exposed New Delhi’s planned propaganda against Islamabad on the behest of the state of India. He said that Indian aggression in Kashmir was cleverly kept in hiding from

CoronavIrus In

pakIstan

CONFIRMED CASES:

504,293

LAST UPDATED AT 8:17 AM ON JANUARY 11, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

46

RECOVERED:

NEW CASES:

2,899 DEATHS:

458,371 10,676 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

226,338 145,508 KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

61,424

18,412

8,489/4,880 39,242

the international watch, while an unfounded propaganda was unleashed in favour of revocation of Article 370. He said that the EU parliamentarians were invited to visit the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) in personal capacity, but they were portrayed as the EU representatives.

Regarding social issues, Major General Iftikhar said that false propaganda was launched through EU Chronicles on minorities and women issues. Anti-Pakistan resolutions were moved in the European Parliaments to tarnish Pakistan’s image in all these areas, he added.

He stressed that the DisinfoLab report viewed this anti-Pakistan campaign at number six on the scale of one to six, which is the highest level of disinformation spread by India.

Major General Iftikhar stated that the EU disinformation lab report has manifested Pakistan’s claims and said that the world is now talking about it. “Even if you mute it, the truth always prevails,” the ISPR DG said, adding that the report is a thirdparty report.

He said that findings of the report serve as a call to actions for decision makers to put in place relevant frameworks to sanction actors and governments abusing international institutions, influencing decision makers and misleading the world opinion.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

PM launches Pakistan's first instant digital payment system ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

In an effort to shift the country’s economy from cash to digital, Prime Minister Imran Khan has launched Pakistan's first instant digital payment system 'Raast'.

Addressing the launching ceremony on Monday, the PM said that the 'Raast' initiative will help boost formal economy, financial inclusion of women, and eradicate poverty from the country.

"We are trying to alleviate poverty through Ehsaas Programme and the launch of 'Raast' programme will help us achieve this goal," Imran Khan said, adding that the programme will boost the Ehsaas programme, particularly its mobile wallet, extend its reach to the women in the rural areas.

The PM observed that the cash economy is the biggest hurdle in tapping the true potential of the 220 million population of Pakistan.

"Cash economy badly affects tax collection, which is evident from the fact that only two million out of 220 million people are tax filers, while 30,000 of taxpayers make 70pc of the total tax collection in the country," the premier

‘Responsibility, precautions’ imperative to counter Covid-19, says minister ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

With the second wave of the coronavirus running rampant, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Monday once again urged the nation to adopt precautionary measures to curb the spread of the second wave.

In the last 24 hours, the government portal keeping track of the contagious disease posted 1,877 fresh infections against 34,524 tests with a significantly lowered positivity ratio of 5.44 percent against the 7 percent transmission rate in the preceding month. In a series of tweets, Umar observed that “health consequences are strongly correlated with our decisions and choices”.

“When the second wave accelerated [in November], we closed high risk areas identified by our analysis in the last week of November,” he recalled.

“In the first week of December,” he said, “hospital admissions peaked. In the second week, patients on oxygen/vents peaked. In the third week, mortality peaked and then declined. Decisions & results are

highly correlated.”

The data illustrated how coronavirus health consequences correlated with personal choices and decisions, he said. “Hence it’s important that we all take responsibility and take precautions. If we do the right things, we shall continue to safeguard lives and livelihoods.”

“The devastation unfolding in countries like the USA and UK these days, where there are more cases & Covid deaths than at any time in the first wave, shows the danger that could face us if we do not continue to do the right things, with both the state and citizens playing their role,” he added.

VACCINATION: Meanwhile, China’s state-backed pharmaceutical giant, Sinopharm, has sought permission from Islamabad for the emergency use of its vaccine in the country.

The company has applied for registration to the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), submitting the complete data of clinical trials of its vaccine to it.

The government has already announced an intent to purchase 1.2 million doses of the vaccine from China.

In December, the federal cabinet approved $250 million in funding to buy coronavirus vaccines, initially to cover the most vulnerable 5 per cent of the population, including the frontline health workers.

Meanwhile, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has announced to have opened registrations for frontline healthcare workers who are set to receive the first doses of the vaccine.

Staff in both public and private health facilities will be vaccinated, NCOC announced on its website and gave an elaborate definition for who qualified as a healthcare worker.

“All staff of Covid-19 hospitals (public and private sector) and isolation centers,” the notification said.

“All staff includes clerical, administrative and support staff [sanitary workers, guards] in addition to doctors, nurses, paramedics.”

The parliamentary health secretary told Radio Pakistan last week the government was expecting its first vaccine dose by the end of January, and that it was preparing a database of frontline health workers who would be vaccinated for free.

noted. "With an increase in revenue collection, the government will create extra space to spend on human development – education, health, clean drinking water etc."

He said that Digital Pakistan is a step forward from a cash economy towards the where the country can take maximum advantage of its 220 million population. The PM congratulated State Bank of Pakistan for efficiently working on the 'Raast' initiative and for convincing overseas Pakistanis to send remittances through formal channels.

He said foreign remittances have improved significantly as a result of these efforts. "Our current account deficit has become surplus, which has reduced pressure on rupee." The premier hoped a move towards Digital Pakistan would help put Pakistan back on the path of prosperity.

Raast is part of Prime Minister Imran Khan's Digital Pakistan vision aimed at including poor segments of the society in the formal economy. Raast would be used not only to settle small-value retail payments in real time but will also provide cheap and universal access to all players in the financial industry, including banks and fintechs.

MORE INSIDE

PM, COAS, ISI chief vow to avenge Mach victims STORY ON PAGE 03

Anti-polio drive starts across country to vaccinate over 40m STORY ON BACK PAGE

‘We’re fighting historical poverty and inflation’, says Bilawal in Makaland STORY ON BACK PAGE

JUI-F seeks dismissal of presidential reference on Senate elections STORY ON PAGE 02

02

Tuesday, 12 January, 2021

NEWS

JUI-F sEEks dIsmIssal oF PREsIdEntIal REFEREnCE on sEnatE ElECtIons

J

NEWS DESK

AMIAT Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has requested the Supreme Court (SC) to declare the presidential reference filed by the incumbent government for an open ballot in the upcoming Senate elections as non-maintainable.

JUI-F’s lawyer, Kamran Murtaza, submitted a reply on Monday to the larger five-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of

Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed.

The reply of the opposition party said that the reference filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) “carries an inference, not in good faith, lacks jurisdiction and is meant to bypass the parliament, therefore, is liable to be declared as such”.

It pointed out that as a political party of the country, the JUI-F has a stake in both the sanctity of the elections as well as in the maintaining of the mandate of the

ECP reserves verdict on plea seeking Faryal’s disqualification ISLAMABAD TLTP

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday reserved the verdict on a petition seeking disqualification of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and former president Asif Ali Zardari’s sister Faryal Talpur as a Sindh Assembly member. A five-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, reserved its judgement, which will be pronounced on February 8. During the hearing, Farooq H Naek, a counsel for Talpur, requested the bench to dismiss the plea for being non-maintainable. Two Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) leaders, Arsalan Taj and Rabia Azfar, had moved the petition in the ECP seeking disqualification of Talpur as member of the provincial assembly over allegedly concealing her assets. They stated the PPP leader should be disqualified under Article 62 of the Constitution as she failed to declare details of her assets before the ECP, which means she is no longer ‘honest and truthful’. Talpur owned properties in Larkana and Shahdadkot, the petitioner stated, adding that she had been nominated in a case pertaining to billions of rupees corruption through fake bank accounts. They pleaded that she be disqualified as a member of the Sindh Assembly.

Pakistan seeks $600m WB loan for hybrid social protection scheme NEWS DESK The government has requested the World Bank for a loan of $600 million to roll out an innovative hybrid social protection scheme to support its aspirations around risk mitigation and financial inclusion among the poor and informal workers. The scheme will blend social assistance with social risk mitigation elements to help reduce the vulnerability of the missing middle to shocks under the ‘Pakistan Crisis-Resilient Social Protection’ programme, according to a new World Bank document released on Saturday. According to the report compiled by a local media outlet, the basic model will be a contributory savings scheme with matching incentives, with a short-tomedium term horizon for withdrawals. It will build on lessons from similar programmes in other countries.

Individuals would not be penalised for early withdrawal of their own savings but will not have access to contributions before reaching the minimum time commitment. This would allow funds to accumulate for later release either on an emergency basis during a crisis or at other significant life events like ageing, illness or death, after this period.

During the first phase, the hybrid scheme will be open to a subset of current and existing beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), although if successful the scheme could be gradually extended to a much wider population. The World Bank document says that the programme will support the enhancement of the social protection delivery systems, including the social registry and biometric payments system, to increase the ability of the social protection system overall to adapt to the needs of the target population during both crisis and normal times.

At the same time, it aims to build resilience against crisis among poor and vulnerable households by incentivising protection and accumulation of human capital through the conditional cash transfers and household savings through hybrid social protection scheme.

Constitution.

The reply further stated: “The reference under the reply of paragraph 10 states that elections of the President of Pakistan are held “under” the Constitution, however, Entry 41 in Part 1 of Fourth Schedule of the Constitution also provides for election of president. The Elections Act 2017 does not state anywhere that it is enacted pursuant to Article 222 of the Constitution.”

The JUI-F reply alleged that the

president had repeatedly misused his office in order to pass ordinances when National Assembly (NA) and Senate are in session, an act which is barred by Article 89 of the Constitution.

It added that, “The conduct of the president also discussed when it filed a reference against an honourable judge of this august court, although the majority view held that malice could not be established behind the filing of reference, however, the

PM Imran Khan in a fix, hopefuls lobbying for Senate polls ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR

Prime Minister Imran Khan is in a fix over the long list of hopefuls lobbying for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) tickets for the upcoming Senate polls as the ruling party is set to bag around 20-23 seats in the Senate polls. Currently, the PTI has 18 members in the upper house of the parliament. Out of the total 18, seven members of the Senate will retire in March.

The numerical strength of the ruling PTI in National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies suggests that, if carefully planned, the PTI could take total tally of its senators in the upper house of the parliament to 34, including 23 new and 11 sitting members.

It will get the biggest numerical boost from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab Assemblies. PTI

will also secure a share from the Sindh and Balochistan legislatures in proportion to the number of its provincial lawmakers. According to the sources in the PTI, political and business bigwigs have started lobbying for the PTI tickets. Among the ticket hopefuls are Babar Awan, Shahzad Akbar, Shibli Faraz, Malik Amin Aslam, Firdous Ashiq Awan, Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Abdul Razzaq Dawood, Saifullah Niazi, Ejaz Chaudhry, Javed Ashraf Qazi, Arshad Dad, Dr Zarqa and many others. Following the announcement of the Senate election in the second month of 2021, candidates have begun a campaign to reach out to top government officials and dignitaries for tickets.

According to sources, the retired senators contesting the elections have started vying for the party tickets in their respective political parties. Similarly, some retired senators are lobbying in the party to

SC admits Meesha’s appeal against LHC dismissal of harassment claim ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday accepted for preliminary hearing a request from singer Meesha Shafi against a Lahore High Court (LHC) order in her sexual harassment claim against singer-turnedactor Ali Zafar.

In October 2019, the high court turned down Shafi’s petition challenging the Punjab ombudsperson (Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace) and the governor’s decision to dismiss her claim against Zafar on “technical grounds”. The ombudsperson’s office had maintained since she and Zafar “did not have an employer-employee relationship”, the case could not be heard in that forum under the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010. Shafi had initially filed a complaint accusing Zafar of harassment with the provincial ombudsperson before being rejected and appealing against the decision before the Punjab governor, whom her legal team considered the competent authority to review any decisions made by the ombudsperson. However, the governor upheld the original decision in July 2018, dismissing her

request on “technical grounds”. During Monday’s hearing, the singer was granted leave, meaning the court will be deliberate if her claim and nature of her association with Zafar at the time come under the workplace harassment law.

The plaintiff while recalling the high court’s take on the nature of the relationship between Shafi and Zafar questioned that “[since] there are also instances of students [enrolled] at educational institutions being harassed and they [students] are not employed by the institutions, would it [any such complaint] not merit a trial?”

The counsel insisted that the LHC and the provincial ombudsmen did not “properly review the law”. After hearing the arguments, the court remarked that the points raised by the petitioner must be reviewed, and clubbed the case with the suo motu notice taken to define sexual harassment, also pending in the court. Issuing notices to respondents, Zafar and Punjab Advocate General Ahmad Awais, the court adjourned the hearing for an indefinite period. In December, a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) inquiry found Shafi and eight others “guilty” of running a vilification campaign on social media against Zafar and asked the trial court to start its proceedings against them.

reference was set aside.”

The statement maintains that “the reference draws comparison to Senate elections with local government elections as this Honourable Court in Civil Appeals No. 760 & 765 of 2016 held that the Sindh government is competent to legislate law to hold elections either by show of hands or secret ballot. This comparison is deeply flawed as Article 140-A of Constitution provides that each province shall by law, establish a local government system and that the elections shall be held by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)”.

Senator Raza Rabbani also appeared before the bench and opposed the presidential reference. He will also submit his reply.

The hearing was adjourned until January 13, wherein the attorney general for Pakistan (AGP) would present his arguments.

become senators again.

According to the sources, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Bazdar’s brother has started considering contesting Senate elections.

From South Punjab, PTI’s main political leaders, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Jahangir Tareen, have also started thinking about their close associates. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is likely to emerge as the second largest party with 19 seats and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as the third largest party with 18 seats. Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) is likely to become the fourth largest party with 12 seats. Due to non-election of four seats in erstwhile FATA, the upper house will be reduced to 100 seats.

According to the report, 52 senators, including Leader of Opposition in the Senate Raja Zafarul Haq, Senator Mushahidullah Khan, Information Minister Senator Shibli Faraz and Senator Sherry Rehman will complete their term on March 11, 2021.

The PML-N would face the greatest loss as it would lose 17 senators. Similarly, seven senators of PPP will retire. Four senators of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) will retire from Sindh, while two senators of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) will retire.

FBR constitutes committee on capital market tax reforms ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has constituted a five-member consultative committee on capital market tax reforms. According to documents available with this scribe, the Inland Revenue-Policy Member would be the chairperson of the committee, whereas Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Commissioner Shauzab Ali, Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) CEO Farrukh Khan, PSX CFO Ahmad Ali Mitha and Income Tax-Policy Chief would be the members of the committee. "The committee shall act as a forum -- till budget making exercise for the year 2021-22 -- to review tax policies and suggest specific short-term and medium to long term measures for the development of debt and equity market, commodity futures, mutual funds, REITs, corporate and insurance sectors, among others," a statement issued by the FBR read.

"Broadly, it will review and recommend all measures that impinge upon the capital markets and its stakeholders." In addition, the committee may invite proposals from relevant stakeholders, deliberate and finalize tax reforms in the aforementioned areas. The proposals shall be categorized into immediate, medium term and long-term reforms and shall accordingly be prioritized. The first report of the committee shall be submitted to the FBR within 20 days of its constitution and necessary amendments to the tax laws shall be initiated in consultation with the committee for implementation of the agreed proposals. The TOR may be evolved and changed by the committee members as needed in view of the experience gained. SHAHZAD PARACHA

IHIG Pakistan plans to public in 2022 KARACHI STAFF REPORT

International Hospitality Investment Group (IHIG) Pakistan, a subsidiary of IHIG UK, is all set to be the first hospitality and fractional investment company to go public in Pakistan, with plans to launch initial public offering (IPO) in 2022.

IHIG is Pakistan's first vacation/fractional ownership company headquartered in London, and is

primarily involved in development and marketing of shared ownership properties in highly desired locations in Pakistan.

Being the only vacation/fractional ownership company of the country, IHIG provides exclusive services of international standards to its customers with a strong commitment to its values of reliability, trust and customer satisfaction.

After great success in vacation ownership, IHIG has brought the concept of fractional ownership to meet the

new consumer demand for generating recurring passive income, and extended its investment portfolio in the property sector in Pakistan with its mall project offering. This project is marketed and managed by its fractional ownership division of IHIG. Briefing about their plans, IHIG Pakistan CEO Noorul Asif said, “IHIG has received a tremendous response for the fractional ownership program. An IPO will only add more credibility and transparency that will allow the concept to grow faster.”

Tuesday, 12 January, 2021

PM, COAS, ISI ChIef vOw tO Avenge MACh vICtIMS ISLAMABAD

t

STAFF REPORT

HE top civil and military leadership of the country has vowed to punish the terrorists involved in the killing of Hazara coal miners in Mach area of Balochistan.

The statement comes after Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)

Director General Lt General Faiz Hamid called on Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday, according to an official statement issued by the PM Office.

The unfortunate Mach incident was highly condemned during the meeting and it was resolved that the perpetrators would be brought to justice. The meeting discussed the national security situation in detail.

The continuous human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir

(IOK) and the frequent ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) also came under discussion.

The regional franchise of the Daesh terrorist group, which is operating out of Afghanistan’s lawless border regions, claimed responsibility for the Mach massacre. Earlier in the day, Balochistan Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove has said that a large-scale operation against terrorists has been commenced in Balochistan. “A large-

scale operation has been commenced against terrorists as the enemies of the country are behind the latest wave of terrorism,” said the minister. He said that the anti-state elements want to divide the nation on sectarian and ethnic bases, besides carrying out terrorist activities in an organised way.

Langove said that the province is currently at a war zone and action will be taken at the site where terrorists are present.

India sponsors terrorism in Pakistan, spoils Afghan peace process: FM ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

PM forms ministerial body to handle PDM Islamabad protest ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday formed a fivemember ministerial committee aimed at keeping a close eye on the law and order in the country in the wake of Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) protest in Islamabad. According to details, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed is being tasked to lead the committee, which would also include Law Minister Farogh Naseem, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood and Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar. A notification issued by the PM Office said that the committee would monitor the law and order and protests being held in Islamabad. According to sources, the committee was formed in the wake of the PDM’s protest in Islamabad and it would be entitled to hold talks with the protesters. The committee would convey minute-byminute details to the Prime Minister regarding the law and order. It is pertinent to mention here that PM Imran on January 5 directed authorities not to create any hurdle in the protest movement of the PDM. The PM allowed PDM’s planned protest in front of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and also directed the interior minister not to create any hurdle in the PDM’s upcoming protest outside ECP headquarters in Islamabad. He said that the opposition may exercise its right to protest.

five BLA terrorists indicted in Chinese consulate attack case KARACHI INP

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Karachi on Monday indicted five members of proscribed terror outfit, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and issued notices to prosecution witnesses and investigation officer in the case pertaining to the 2018 attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi. In November 2018, three militants stormed the consulate in the upscale Clifton neighbourhood, killing four people. Security forces killed the attackers who were carrying explosives. The attack was later claimed by Afghanistan-based BLA. During the proceedings, the ATC judge read out the charge sheet to the accused who pleaded not guilty. Two of the accused had confessed their involvement in the attack and admitted to providing assistance to the attackers. During the course of investigations, Karachi police said the Indian spy agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), provided financial assistance for the attack.

Former Karachi police chief Amir Shaikh said that the attackers came in a car filled with explosives but failed to get inside the heavily fortified compound.

“They tried to get inside, but the Rangers and police killed one of the terrorists,” Shaikh had said. A gun battle broke out with the two other attackers trying to enter the visa section, but they were also killed.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday said that India was supporting terrorist activities in Pakistan and thus posed a serious threat to the region’s peace. In a statement, the FM called upon the international community to take notice of India’s constant attempts to undermine peace in the region.

FM Qureshi said that India was playing the role of a spoiler in the Afghan peace process as it did not want peace and stability to prevail.

He said that Pakistan was determined to fight India’s nefarious designs by highlighting them through diplomatic means, and expressed a firm commitment to protect the country’s interests at all costs.

He also said that Pakistan would continue to expose India’s ill intentions, adding that the government had made contacts with friendly countries at the platform of United Nations and its Security Council.

Foreign Minister Qureshi said that the government

would engage with the new administration of the United States as President Joe Biden takes up his official responsibilities on January 20.

He added that Biden had been chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee as a senator and was familiar with the region besides having visited Pakistan.

He expressed his intent to soon write to the new US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in view of furthering Pak-US relations.

Regarding the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), he termed it a “negative alliance of people with different ideologies” aimed at putting pressure on the institutions to get their corruption cases withdrawn.

He said that PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman had made two major announcements, one to resign from the assemblies and the other about long march, which both had ended up into failure.

He said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had backed away from the call of resignations followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which clearly showed that they had no unity in their ranks.

NYT lists Lahore among ‘top places to visit in 2021’ ISLAMABAD APP

The historic walled city of Lahore was enlisted in 52 dream destinations for tourism lovers to visit in 2021 by the New York Times (NYT).

The NYT, an American Daily with worldwide readership, compiled its list -- 52 places to love in 2021 -- after stifling more than 2,000 suggestions, received by it from the readers who were asked about the spots that had delighted, inspired and comforted them in a dark year.

It is not the first time that the world acknowledges Pakistan’s tourism potential. The country has already been recommended to the tourists as must-visit place by the global magazines such as Forbes and Condé Nast Traveler due to its breathtaking tourist destinations scattered across the country.

“Especially in winter, this city nourishes you. It

opens its arms to you, then feeds you and wraps you in a hug,” remarked Haneen Iqbal, one of the American daily’s reader, about the walled city.

The New York Times posted her view on its site, which described Lahore as one of the best city due to its culture, history and hospitality.

Other countries’ cities that included in the list were Siwa Oasis of Egypt, The Llanos of Colombia, Kaliya Dhrow of India, Northern Mariana Islands of Saipan, Isfahan, Iran and others.

Meanwhile, National Tourism Coordination Board Chairman Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari also took to twitter to inform the nation about the development.

“Lahore is among the New York Times top picks to visit in 2021. Lahore’s rich culture, warmth, hospitality & the most amazing food in the world awaits travelers. A must-have on everyone’s list!,” Zulfikar Bukhari, who is also Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis, tweeted.

NEWS

03

5.1 MAgnItuDe quAke jOLtS LAhOre, Other PunjAB CItIeS LAHORE TLTP

An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 struck Lahore and other cities of central Punjab on Monday; luckily, no loss of life or property was reported. The tremors were felt in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Murree and other districts of the province, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).

According to the Met Office, the quake hit at a depth of 65 km while the epicentre was located in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). Feeling the tremors, people in Lahore, Rawalpindi and other Punjab cities came out of their houses reciting Kalma-e-Tayyaba. On October 18 last year, a moderate intensity earthquake had jolted Mingora in Swat and adjoining areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The intensity of tremors was recorded at 4.7 magnitude on the Richter scale. The depth of the quake was 100 kilometres with epicentre in Hindukush Mountain range, according to seismological reports.

SC seeks case record of Shahzeb murder case ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday directed the petitioners to submit the case record in a proper arrangement as it resumed hearing in the longrunning Shahzeb Khan murder case. The three convicts — Shahrukh Jatoi, Siraj Talpur and Ghulam Murtaza Lashari — had submitted petitions seeking to overturn their punishments in the eightyear-old case. The three-judge bench, headed by Justice Maqbool Baqar and comprising Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed, also issued a notice to the members of Khan’s family on Jatoi’s request. During the hearing, the counsel for the convicts insisted since a compromise was reached between the two parties, the sentences should be commuted. At this, Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin asked the counsel to submit the agreement. “Your case record is not arranged, submit the papers again in a proper manner,” he said and adjourned further hearing for three weeks. In December 2012, 20-year-old Khan, the son of a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), was gunned down in a Defence Housing Authority (DHA) neighbourhood in Karachi after picking up a fight with a servant of Jatoi, the murderer, purportedly for harassing his sister. According to witnesses, Jatoi and his three accomplices chased and shot Khan to punish him for roughing up the servant. In June 2013, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) sentenced Jatoi and Talpur to death while Sajjad Talpur and Ghulam Murtaza Lashari, the Talpurs’ servant, were handed life imprisonment for their involvement in the crime. A couple of months after the sentence, however, Khan’s parents had issued a formal pardon to the convicts. The SHC in November 2017 set aside the death penalty and ordered a retrial after Jatoi’s counsel, Farooq H Naek, successfully argued that terrorism charges should not have been included in the case. Five years into the case, in January 2018, the apex court took up the case as it admitted for hearing a request seeking to strike down the high court’s decision.

LWMC fails to provide clean environment to people of Lahore LAHORE SHAHAB OMER

The Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) has failed to remove garbage from the provincial capital due to its poor strategy as the whole city has started turning into garbage dumps, Pakistan Today learnt on Monday.

A survey conducted by Pakistan Today found that garbage had not been picked up in most parts of the city for the past 10 days and the growing piles of garbage had added to the concern of the citizens.

According to details, the LWMC's waste management contract in the provincial capital was with Turkish companies, which expired on December 31, and due to a dispute between Turkish companies and LWMC, the contract could not be extended.

The LWMC had awarded contracts to new companies for cleaning up the city through emergency bidding, but the cleanliness situation in the city has not improved.

Heaps of garbage have started to form in most areas of Lahore, including Ichhra, Shah Jamal, Shadman, Nishtar Colony, Kahna, Garhi Shahu, Gulberg, Nicholson Road, Habib Ullah Road, Sanda, Samanabad,

Allama Iqbal Town, Harbanspura, Mughalpura, Dharampura, Township, Green Town, Naz Town, Gulshan Ravi, Krishna Nagar, Sham Nagar, Rajgarh, Sant Nagar and Band road.

Rehan Gul, a resident of Shah Jamal, said that garbage had not been cleaned in his area for the last two weeks, and this has caused the spread of rot in the area.

“Due to the poor sanitation situation, there are foul smells all over our area. On the one hand, due to the Covid-19, precaution is being taken and on the other hand, it is feared that due to such filth, it is not known which diseases are in the area,” Gull said.

Aslam Malik, a resident of Dharampura, said that the sanitation situation in his area had been very bad since December 10.

“Garbage is not being picked up by the administration on a daily basis and the garbage drums are not empty," he lamented. "People are throwing garbage from their homes back in these filled drums."

"The city of gardens has turned into heaps of garbage,” he added.

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Ahmed Buzdar expressed his displeasure with LWMC officials during a meeting regarding cleanliness of city and gave

them a deadline to clean the entire city within two days.

During the meeting, the CM reprimanded the officers and said that there were piles of garbage in various places in the city, asking why no cleaning has been done so far.

“We will not be blackmailed by any company. I have reports that Lahore has been turned into a garbage dump.

Every time I have visited the city, I have found bad conditions. Let all the departments work together to make Lahore clean first,” he added.

He directed the concerned authorities to monitor the entire city through CCTV cameras of Punjab Safe City Authority (PSCA) and to provide detailed reports.

During the meeting, the CM was also briefed that 20,000 tonnes of garbage has been collected while 5,000 tonnes are still on the roads.

Speaking to Pakistan Today, LWMC spokesman Jamil Khawar said that Turkish companies had not been collecting garbage from the city since December 10.

“The city collects 5,000 tonnes of garbage a day and we have started work with new contractors since December 2. In addition to collecting 5,000 tonnes of garbage a day, we are also collecting old waste and the situation will improve soon,” he maintained.

04 NEWS

Tuesday, 12 January, 2021

48 Ehsaas NashoNuma CENtrEs bEiNg EstablishEd at 13 distriCts CouNtrywidE ISLAMABAD APP

Memento being presented by Mr Aasim A. Siddiqui and Mr Sharique A. Siddiqui to Minister of Railways, Mr Azam Swati during his recent visit of Marine Group.

ATC awards jail terms to two culprits in navy captain, policeman’s murder KARACHI PPI

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday awarded a 50-year jail term to one accused and a 25-year to another accused in the murder cases of a navy captain and a police official. The ATC heard the case against the accused, Saad Aziz alais Tantan, and Tahir alais Minhas. The court found Saad and Tahir guilty in both murder cases and awarded Saad 50 years imprisonment in aggregate and 25 years jail term to Tahir. The ATC also ordered Saad to pay a compensation of 0.5 million each to the families of two victims, while Minhas was ordered to pay Rs0.5 million to the family of Pakistan Navy’s Captain Nadeem Ahmed. In case of non-payment of fine, Aziz and Minhas will remain in jail for an additional six and three years, respectively. It may be noted that Saad was earlier convicted by a military court for the Safoora Goth bus carnage in which around 43 members of the Ismaili community were killed in March 2015. According to the police charge sheet, on October 16, 2013, both convicts had attacked and killed Captain Ahmed and injured his wife in Karachi. Separately, both convicts had also killed a policeman, Waqar Hussain, on October 16, 2014 in New Karachi. The murder case of navy captain and the policeman were registered against the both accused at Shahrah-e-Faisal and New Karachi police stations, respectively.

Around 48 Ehsaas Nashonuma Centers are being established in 13 districts of the country to provide health services and conditional cash transfers to prevent stunted growth in children.

This was revealed during the introductory meeting of Ehsaas Nashonuma Steering Committee held under the chairmanship of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar.

The steering committee members were briefed on the progress of Ehsaas Nashonuma Programme that is being implemented in partnership with the provinces and World Food Programme.

Alongside, the steering committee’s Terms of References, strategic avenues for scaling up the programme, lessons from the first phase, priorities for quality enhancements, adaptations and integrations introduced in the design and roll out of the programme were discussed.

The committee also discussed coordination of nu-

trition specific programmes at the federal level to ensure cross-country, cross-ministerial, inter-sectoral and interprovincial collaboration for prevention of stunting and malnutrition among children.

Nashonuma is a three-year programme that delivers conditional cash transfers to the vulnerable pregnant women and mothers with children under two years, linked to the consumption of specialised nutritious food, immunisations, and attendance of health awareness sessions.

Turning policy into action, 48 Ehsaas Nashonuma Centres across 13 districts are being established countrywide at the district and Tehsil level to provide health services under one roof through the programme.

In keeping with geographical spread out of Balochistan, the Nashonuma Centres are also being opened at the basic health unit level to ensure easy access to the facility.

Reflecting on the expansion of the first phase from seven to 13 of the nutritionally vulnerable districts in the country, Dr Sania stated, “The first phase of Ehsaas Nashonuma provides a solid, context-driven and scalable model for integrating nutrition-sensitive approaches

within social protection platforms."

"The expansion of the programme will be anchored upon the lessons from the field, operational reviews and impact assessments that have been embedded in the conceptualization and design of Ehsaas Nashonuma," she said.

The policy action is envisaged to address high rates of malnutrition in Pakistan where the highest burden is within the poorest segments of the population, she said.

Continuing, she said, “To enhance the programmatic and awareness outcomes of the Ehsaas Nashonuma in an effective manner, it is highly important to focus on the instructional beneficiary centred communication.”

The meeting was attended by two federal ministries and six provincial ministries representatives along with other officials from Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the World Bank, World Food Programme, World Health Organization, Asian Development Bank, UNICEF, Federal Expanded Programme for Immunization and Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund and Nashonuma operations team from BISP.

PTI govt to execute Ring Road, five small dam projects in Rawalpindi: Sarwar ISLAMABAD INP

ISLAMABAD: A beautiful view of sunset from the Pakistan Monument in the federal capital. ONLINE

Enemies attempting to create unrest through sectarianism: interior minister ISLAMABAD PPI Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has said that enemies of the country are attempting to create unrest through sectarianism hence major cities have been put on high alert. Talking to a private news channel, he said that terrorists have recently been arrested from Bhara Kahu and Sargodha. He said that for the first time in history of the country, the government has signed agreement in black and white with the Hazara community and their demands will be fulfilled. The minister said that investigation into killing of Usama Satti is going on and that the culprits have already been arrested after registration of case under strict clauses of the law. Commenting on the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the minister said that his prediction came true as the opposition neither has plan to tender resignations from the assemblies, nor they are going to boycott Senate and by-elections. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan will never compromise on the corruption cases against leaders of the opposition.

missing student: shC serve notices on home dept, igP, rangers dg KARACHI PPI

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday served notices on Sindh's Home Department, inspector general of police (IGP) and Rangers director general on a plea seeking recovery of 22-year-old missing student Zia Shaikh. A SHC bench, headed by Justice Naimtullah Phulputo, heard the plea filed by the family of the student, who has been missing for two weeks. The court sought reports from the police and other relevant authorities. The petitioner told the court that there was no criminal record of Zia. He stated that they came to know that Zia had been held by a security agency in Hyderabad on December 31, 2020 at 3:00 am. Justice Phulputo asked the petitioner that why did he not file the plea before Hyderabad bench. To which, the petitioner stated that the family was being harassed in Hyderabad that is why they approached SHC Karachi. The petitioner pleaded the court to order the safe recovery of Zia.

Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan on Monday chaired a meeting on Ring Road and small dam projects at Rawalpindi Commissioner’s Office.

During the meeting, Rawalpindi Commissioner Captain (r) Muhammad Mehmood briefed the minister about progress achieved on the project.

Speaking on the occasion, Sarwar said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government believes in taking practical steps for welfare of the common man and appreciated the commissioner for achieving substantial progress on the projects.

He said that all the former governments had done nothing except lip-service about the Ring Road project, but it was the PTI government that took practical measures to execute a flagship

project in Rawalpindi.

The federal minister expressed confidence that the project would not only help resolve the traffic issues but also create more job opportunities and give a boost to economic activities.

Commenting on the construction of dams, Sarwar highlighted the importance of such reservoirs in raid-fed agriculture areas like Rawalpindi.

He said that five small dams namely Daducha, Mujahid, Papin, Chehan and Mahuta Mohra were being constructed to meet irrigation needs of local formers.

“Fast track work on the dams is in progress, which will help strengthen the agriculture sector,” he assured provision of required funds.

Sarwar said that it was for the first time in the country’s history that a committee, consisting of government and opposition members, had been formed on the dams.

Tuesday, 12 January, 2021

NEWS

Oil PRiCES fall On REnEwEd COROnaviRuS COnCERnS aS China CaSES MOunt Singapore

O

AGENCIES

IL prices fell on Monday, hit by renewed concerns about global fuel demand amid tough coronavirus lockdowns in Europe and new curbs on movement in China, the world’s second-largest oil user, where infections jumped.

Brent crude oil futures were down 65 cents, or 1.2%, at $55.34 a barrel by 0439 GMT, after having climbed to $56.39, their highest since Feb. 25, 2020. Brent rose in the previous four sessions.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate

(WTI) slipped 44 cents, or 0.8%, to $51.80 a barrel. WTI rose to its highest in nearly a year on Friday.

“Covid hot spots flaring again in Asia, with 11 million people (in) lockdowns in China’s Hebei province...along with a touch of Fed policy uncertainty, has triggered some profit taking out of the gates,” Stephen Innes, chief global market strategist at Axi, said in a note.

Mainland China saw its biggest daily increase in virus infections in more than five months, authorities said on Monday, as new infections rose in Hebei, which surrounds the capital, Beijing.

Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital

and epicentre of the new outbreak, is in lockdown, with people and vehicles barred from leaving, as authorities seek to rein in the spread.

Most of Europe is now under the strictest restrictions, according to the Oxford stringency index, which tracks measures such as travel bans and school and workplace closures.

“Brent is underperforming after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman revealed Saudi Arabia’s future beyond oil and Iraq increased their pricing for crude sales to Asia in February,” said Edward Moya, a senior market analyst at OANDA. The Saudi crown prince unveiled plans on Sunday to build a zero-carbon

city at NEOM, the first major construction project for the $500 billion flagship business zone aimed at diversifying the economy of the world’s largest oil exporter.

Still, oil price losses were curbed by plans for U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to announce trillions of dollars in new virus relief bills this week, much to be funded through increased borrowing.

Crude prices were supported by Saudi Arabia’s pledge last week for a voluntary oil output cut of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in February and March as part of a deal for most OPEC+ producers to hold production steady during new lockdowns.

India's top court chides government over impasse with protesting farmers neW deLHi AGENCIES

India’s Supreme Court on Monday criticised the government for failing to break a deadlock with farmers protesting against reforms of the agricultural sector.

Tens of thousands of farmers have been camped on the outskirts of the capital, New Delhi, for more than a month, and have promised to march during Republic Day celebrations on January 26, against what they see as laws benefiting large private buyers at the

expense of producers.

Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde said in a hearing on Monday the drawn-out confrontation was causing distress to farmers. “We are extremely disappointed at the way the government is handling all this,” Bobde said. “We don’t know what consultative process you followed before the laws. Many states are up in rebellion.” He repeated a suggestion that the government pause the legislation while farmers’ concerns are heard and said the court would pass orders if the two sides remained at an impasse.

The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the legislation is aimed at modernising an antiquated agricultural system, which suffers from colossal wastage and bottlenecks in the supply chain.

But farm leaders say the laws are an attempt to erode a longstanding minimum support price for their crops and they want a full repeal of the laws.

The government has said there was “no question” of this happening, and eight rounds of talks have failed to find common ground. The two sides are set to next meet on Friday.

05

CORPORATE CORNER

LAHORE: In line with its renewed strategic objectives, The Bank of Punjab has signed an MoU with Punjab Microfinance Network (PMFN) to uplift and empower the microfinance sector in order to provide easy access to financial services for the underprivileged. PR

KARACHI: Khushhali Microfinance Bank Limited has been honoured with the ‘Best Microfinance Bank’ in Pakistan for the third consecutive year by The Institute of Bankers Pakistan. PR

India promoting anti-Pakistan agenda: ISPR DG Continued from page 01 The chief of the military’s media wing said that the past decade has been a challenging time for Pakistan.

He reviewed efforts in the security domain and the challenges of Covid-19 and locust attack, and how Pakistan successfully overcame the issues.

“We have stayed the course and we will stay the course,” the DG ISPR said. He further stated that the challenges that Pakistan faced were overwhelming but as a nation, Pakistan stood resolute.

The ISPR DG stated that no terrorist stronghold is found in the country. He explained that there are small unorganised groups but there is no evidence of an organisational infrastructure.

He said that the state, national institutions, armed forces and the nation become united to cope with the challenges. The ISPR DG said that the overall security situation of the country has improved and comprehensive steps have been taken to secure borders with Afghanistan and Iran.

He said that on one hand, India is continuing violations of the ceasefire line and on the other, banned outfits are carrying out activities along the eastern border of the country. Iftikhar said that the country has always spotted facts regarding internal and external threats, besides timely responding to them. He also said that 371,000 operations have been conducted in the last three years under Radd-ul-Fasaad.

The tribal areas are now a part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the rate of the terrorist incident was reduced up to 45 per cent in 2020 as compared to the last year.

“Security institutions have foiled more than 50 per cent of terrorist incidents. In 2013, Karachi was standing at the sixth number in the crime index which is now 103.” He detailed that border-fencing along 2,611 kilometres long Pakistan-Afghanistan border will be completed by the mid-2021, whereas 37 per cent of the work work on border fencing along the Pakistan-Iran border has been completed so far, and the rest will be completed within one year.

Major General Iftikhar said that the number of ceasefire violations (CFVs) by India recorded highest in 2019 up to 3,097 times on eastern border especially the Line of Control (LoC), as well as making a failed act of aggression against Pakistan in February 2019.

Pakistan Army had responded to the Indian provocations in a befitting manner. besides showing aggression in February 2019.

“Pakistan has successfully fought the war against terrorism during the last 20 years and more than 18,000 terrorists were killed besides eliminating terrorist outfits by carrying out more than 1,200 operations. More than 1,100 al-Qaeda terrorists have been captured or killed for global peace.”“We are on the right path and always will be. The writ of the state is everywhere. All major operations in [erstwhile Fed-

eral Administered Tribal Areas] FATA have been completed, whereas, the training of police forces in tribal areas have also been completed.”

The ISPR DG stated that the capabilities of Balochistan Frontier Corps (FC) have been increased and a special security division was made in Gwadar.

Although, we are not fully out of danger, however, the situation is under control, he added.

Responding to a question, he said that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa will visit the bereaved families of slain Mach coal miners this week. In response to another question concerning Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) threats of marching towards Rawalpindi, the spokesperson said that that the Pakistan Army sees no reason why they [the political movement] would do so. “But even if they want to come to Rawalpindi, we will serve them water,” he added.

Responding to a question regarding the country’s current political scenario, the ISPR DG stated that the allegations being levelled are such that they don’t even merit a response. “The army does not need to intervene in political matters and neither should it be dragged into politics,” he said.

Dismissing rumours that the army was holding talks with the PDM leadership, he said that it is not the army’s job to intervene in political matters. “The government is responding to all these allegations and doing a good job at it,” he added.

Tesla hunts for design chief to create cars for China BeiJing AGENCIES

Tesla Inc is searching for a design director in China, part of efforts to open a “full-function” studio in Shanghai or Beijing and design electric cars tailored to Chinese consumer tastes, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.

The U.S. carmaker’s human resources managers, as well as several headhunters, have been trawling the industry over the past four months, the sources said.

They are looking for “bi-cultural” candidates with 20 or more years of experience who are familiar with Chinese tastes and can bridge the gaps between China and the United States, they added.

Some candidates have been interviewed by Tesla’s global design chief Franz von Holzhausen, according to the people, though it was not clear how many potential candidates had been approached by the company and recruiters. All three sources spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity and confidential nature of the matter.

Tesla and von Holzhausen did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

China is the world’s biggest auto market, plus the largest for all-electric vehicles with sales volumes expected to reach roughly 1.5 million vehicles there this year, according to consultancy LMC Automotive. It is also Tesla’s No.2 market after the United States.

The carmaker’s plans for the design studio are not fully developed, and the sources believe Tesla will likely wait for more clarity on strained U.S.-China relations under a new U.S. president before making a final decision on the move and all its details.

The talent search, which the sources said was mainly focused within China, fits with comments from Tesla boss Elon Musk early last year.

“I think something that would be super cool would be ... to create a China design and engineering centre to actually design an original car in China for worldwide consumption. I think this would be very exciting,” he said at a media event in Shanghai.

FLURRY OF ACTIVITY: Musk’s interest in developing cars in China is part of a broader push by Tesla to boost the company’s global sales volume well past the 500,000-vehicle-a-year mark, which it came just 450 short of hitting in 2020.

All three sources said Tesla’s search for a China

studio director began around September, and that there was a flurry of activity as recently as December when a number of headhunters used LinkedIn and other means to approach candidates.

One of the sources, who has knowledge of Tesla’s headhunting activities in China, said that once a design director was hired, Tesla would recruit the director’s team which would likely be around 20-strong and include designers plus modellers who help turn design renderings into clay models.

All the sources said the planned centre aimed to be a comprehensive design outfit, with one describing it as a “full-function studio”, which would not only help conceptualize the design of a car but also come up with the final shape – digital three-dimensional data - of a model. The data could then be handed over to Tesla’s vehicle engineers, who are mostly based in northern California. Two of the sources said Tesla’s China studio would likely also carry out research on Chinese consumer tastes, as well as work for cars expected to be produced at Tesla’s vehicle assembly plant in Shanghai, where designs are tweaked to make sure specific components fit within engineers’ specifications.

CMYK

KARACHI: Faysal Bank Limited, a leading commercial and Islamic bank of Pakistan, has been bestowed with the ‘Best Emerging Bank 2020’ award at the 5th Pakistan Banking Awards (PBA) ceremony held recently in the port city. PR

K-Electric restores power after national grid breakdown KARACHI: The countrywide power breakdown on account of national grid outage cascaded onto the KElectric network and affected Karachi’s power supply as well. Following the massive outage late Saturday, KE teams worked tirelessly to restore power to affected parts. K-Electric’s transmission and distribution networks were swiftly restored along with generation from KElectric’s Bin Qasim power plant and IPPs. By late evening, supplies from the national grid were also resumed through existing interconnection points with KElectric. Most parts of Karachi have been energised already, while teams are available to address any individual customer complaints received at its 118 callcentre so that KE achieves its vision of bringing Karachi to a power surplus situation by the year 2022. PR

Soneri Bank signs credit guarantee agreement with PMRC KARACHI: Soneri Bank Limited has signed a Credit Guarantee Agreement with Pakistan Mortgage Refinance Company (PMRC) to provide and promote affordable housing finance to those from the low income segment in the country. The signing ceremony was chaired by SBP Governor Dr Reza Baqir and attended by senior executives from PMRC and top executives from Soneri Bank Limited and banks across Pakistan. Muhtashim Ahmad Ashai, CEO & President Soneri Bank Limited, and Abdul Aleem Qureshi, Head of Commercial and Retail Banking Group, also participated in the ceremony. With this accord, Soneri Bank is actively pursuing the construction and housing initiatives as promoted by the government. PR

OPPO launches Reno5 in Pakistan LAHORE: OPPO has announced the launch of its latest Reno5 in Pakistan. With its industry-leading video performance, Reno5 is the AI Portrait Expert that empowers you to express your best self and inspires you to “Picture Life Together”. The launch event featured appearances from industry stars including Sheheryar Munawar, Zoe Viccaji, and rising travel photographer Ali Awais. “Today’s smartphone is not just a tool to record our memories – it’s a partner that empowers our own unique way of storytelling and archives the unforgettable stories we share with our friends and family,” said George Long, CEO OPPO Pakistan. PR

Tuesday, 12 January, 2021

06 COMMENT

The Machh tragedy: unfashionable opinion

As PTI nears completing its mid-term Negative factors pile up

T

he most prominent challenges Pakistan faces today are the country’s economic recovery, containment of Covid-19, improving internal security, managing threats from across the LoC and PTI government’s selfcreated political turmoil. efforts made by the government to deal with these challenges have produced mixed results. headlines like ‘Record remittances depict trust in government’ might enthuse PTI votaries, independent observers attribute the phenomenon to two new factors. One, Pakistanis living abroad, especially in western countries, did not undertake pilgrimages and avoided foreign travels, sending larger savings to suffering relatives. The factor will disappear with air traffic becoming normal. Two, choking of havala channels under international pressure leading overseas workers to remit funds through legal channels. Claims about an uptick in the pace of industrial activity and exports would have been welcome had these been achieved through improvements in competitiveness and reforms in the power sector. On the contrary the results have been achieved through subsidies on interest rates, power and fuel, coupled with tax and duty exemptions, which make the achievements unsustainable. When their economies are faring well, governments do not go to IMf. The PTI government’s performance in dealing with Covid-19 is no doubt better than that of many countries. But while India is already conducting a dry run of the coronavirus vaccine, Pakistan is waiting for the United Nation’s Covax mechanism to receive around 45 million free vaccine doses that will cover the country’s 20 per cent population only.

Internal security threats are on the increase. The day Machh carnage victim’s families were promised relief, a sepoy was martyred in North Waziristan while a day later five people were injured in a grenade attack in Turbat. foreign hand cannot be ruled out in these cases but every successful attack underlines the government’s failure.

India continues to implement its plan to spread dismay in AJK through attacks on civilian population. On Sunday a couple was injured in AJK due to unprovoked ceasefire violation by the Indian army, marking the first civilian casualties of 2021.

Imran Khan’s ego and stubbornness first stood in the way of developing working relations with the opposition. Later the tendencies forced the opposition to take to the streets.

With other negative factors intensifying, the confrontation may eventually turn out to be the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.

A politically incorrect column

HASAN AFTAB SAEED

T

he media has announced its collective verdict: the government could not have handled the incident in a worse manner if it had tried. And as usual, the masses have wasted little time in getting on to the bandwagon. And why not, when it gives everybody an opportunity to play holier-than-thou? Anything that helps pass a day or two!

Let there be no misunderstanding: the state has failed the victims and their families, and not for the first time either. But the constitution that guarantees preservation of life and liberty of citizens also makes the state responsible for providing free and compulsory education, food, clothing, housing and medical relief to everybody. Sadly, articles of the constitution and cold, hard facts of life are two very different sets of items. This country faces many perennial problems, for which there are no simple solutions.

This is not to say that such events should be taken in one’s stride. The perpetrators must be taken to task and steps taken to prevent such atrocities in future.

But how does resorting to cheap shots and clichés help that cause? It would be a different world if lip service and bromide helped solve problems.

Maryam Nawaz started her press conference in fine style by announcing that she had not planned

Unsatisfactory explanations Government should take responsibility for national blackout

T

WO days have passed since the country witnessed a sudden national power grid breakdown, plunging it into darkness for hours, with some areas still without electricity, but the PTI government has failed to satisfactorily explain what went wrong. This was by no means a small event; a blackout of such a magnitude would make any country vulnerable to attack, as its defense systems, heavily reliant on an uninterrupted supply of electricity, would be compromised. Thankfully none of the many rumors doing the rounds on social media, spreading fear and panic, turned out to be true. however, as some very fundamental and basic questions remain unanswered, there is a state of confusion.

By its own admission, the country has an installed capacity of 35,975 Megawatts, which is tested the most during peak summer season, necessitating load shedding. Why then did all power houses of the country trip simultaneously on a cold winter day, that too around midnight, when the load is perhaps at its lowest? When asked this question not once but twice during a recent presser, federal Minister for energy Omar Ayub deflected with a knee jerk reaction in typical PTI fashion, blaming past governments for ‘not paying any attention’ towards the improvement of the transmission system.

As is usual with such incidents, an inquiry committee has been constituted to look into the causes for the power collapse, a process that will take time and will refrain from blaming the government. In the meanwhile, experts have weighed in and stated that the improper and inadequate maintenance of transmission lines is the most likely culprit.

One opinion explains how after a similar blackout occurred in 2015 as a result of sabotage, zoning systems were created in the NTDC so that any breakdown would remain isolated to a particular region and not affect the entire transmission infrastructure. This mechanism came online in 2016 and no major breakdowns took place in the past four years till now because allegedly the ‘system safety gadgets’ have not been maintained or upgraded in the past three years. The PTI has now been in power for close to three years therefore responsibility for such major faux pas lies solely with the ruling party. Instead of blaming everyone else for its many shortcomings, the government should admit that there is a problem and try to fix it rather than making childish excuses.

Hard days for Indian farmers Slogans in favor of Pakistan at protests in India against Modi government

ALI SUKHANVER

L

Ife is a simple game of three moments; one which belonged to us; one which we own now and the one which is expected to be ours; the past, the present and the future.

Successful are those who keep looking back at their yesterday and intelligent are those who are always conscious of their tomorrow but the luckiest ones are those who try to make their present everlasting provided that their present is something to be proud of: we the Pakistanis are surely among those luckiest ones. for the last many years this prediction is selling hot that Pakistan is going to be no more on the world map in the near future. But every year Pakistan is always there, giving a tough time to all those who are dreaming of Pakistan changing into a waste land. Pakistan has become the centre of all concentration in a very short period of time. This

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

on talking to the media given the sensitivity of the issue, but Imran Khan’s callous attitude had forced her to change her mind. Yeah, right! Videos have since surfaced showing her markedly less devastated by the tragedy than she wants everybody to believe. Well, Politicians will be politicians. What about the ordinary man though? That the incident has shocked everybody is beyond doubt. But I would love to be introduced to the noble soul who forewent even one meal as a result. Or who skipped watching his favourite programming on Netflix even for a day. I am not being critical here.

This is the difference between one’s own tragedy and somebody else’s. It is probably as well because one would be continually paralyzed otherwise.

Alarms must therefore go off in one’s mind before crying oneself hoarse about the supposed heartlessness of others.

This was a particularly heinous crime; but condolence is tricky at the most ordinary of times. how does one express one’s feelings? By saying that one is sorry? That is often technically true but is there any comparison with the sorrow of the immediate family? (It is true that at most funerals in Punjab there are ladies who have made a fine art of appearing more devastated than the immediate relations; and it is also unfortunately true that every Pakistani is in some part a Punjabi.) Then there are those who opt to remain silent and let their silence convey their sentiments. each man negotiates the situation in a manner that he sees fit – none of which is satisfactory. It takes a great amount of courage therefore to criticise others for failing to come up to one’s impeccable standards of conduct in these matters. This is the kind of courage we have no dearth of. Another thing that we have no shortage of is the capacity to repeat and hear clichés ad nauseum. Such is the level of habituation that we feel offended when somebody fails to utter one for the occasion.

Over the years, what has unfortunately come to characterize this nation more than anything else is the perpetual search for avenues in public events to vent private anger and frustration. If one is merely interested in letting off steam, pinning the blame on a convenient scapegoat, and looking good in the process – that is a different matter; but any realistic analysis of the recent incident cannot fail to note that: Prime ministers have very little room to play politics on such issues. Politicians of the opposition rarely, if ever, let any opportunity go by without trying to score points.

Those responsible for the killing are beyond reform and must be dealt with severely. The inability

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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matchless importance is simply because of the fact that the world around us has accepted the reality that Pakistanis have an exemplary ability of sailing in troubled waters.

It is a daylight fact that Pakistanis can achieve any target if they are determined. Moreover, they have a talent of helping out and supporting all those who are being crushed and trampled by the powerful ones. from the Indian Occupied Kashmir to Palestine and to the east-Punjab, Pakistan is everywhere, admired and loved by the crushed ones and looked at like a savior. It is the height of this admiration that for the last many weeks, different cities of India are echoing with the slogans in favour of Pakistan. According to Indian media reports, the protesting farmers are raising pro-Pakistan slogans during their protest-processions. Recently a video clip has also gone viral in which a man is apparently seen raising pro-Pakistani slogan ‘Pakistan Zindabad (Live Long Pakistan). Commenting on this strange development, the Jagran News Desk said, “Amid farmers Delhi Chalo March, Punjab’s Lok Insaaf Party MLA Simarjit Singh Bains is also seen in the clip when a man allegedly raised pro-Pakistani slogans.” Some analyst are of the opinion that this video clip could be a ploy to derail the farmer protests and make it look like a Pakistani agenda to create unrest in the country on one hand and on the other hand it could be a conspiracy of getting an opportunity of defaming and blaming Pakistan.

The farmers in India are protesting against the three farm laws approved by the Modi government earlier this year. These laws are — The farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and facilitation) Act, The farmers (empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and farm Services Act, and The essential Commodities (Amendment) Act. These laws were first introduced in the month of last June as three Ordinances and later on were approved by Parliament in September.

The protesters say that the new laws will make

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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to eradicate them and prevent such incidents (which have been occurring for a long time now) is the failure of this government as it has been the failure of all previous governments. There can be any number of deficiencies in the performance of the state in this regard. however, what with the sectarian angle, three immediate neighbours embroiled in a geo-political tugof-war, many other nations chipping in with their own contributions, and the peculiar landscape of Balochistan, matters are not as simple as some would make them appear. That dismissing this official or moving that check-post will somehow solve the problem; or that it would be a cinch if only the government and the establishment were sincere in addressing the issue – this is where real life differs from fairy tales.

The families of the victims, who deserve every sympathy in the world, were understandably beside themselves with emotion. But there is a need to separate them from the little group that prevailed upon them in their hour of grief not to bury their dead until this or that condition was met. Shame on this group to exploit victims at their weakest in the guise of championing their cause!

As for those who were far from the scene but who unwittingly let themselves become mouthpieces of the aforestated group, they need to do some soul searching. Their sentimentality may sound great to them, but it does no good to the victims – probably the opposite. Yes, social media has provided a platform to express every half-baked thought one believes is the greatest idea in the world; but there are issues which require one to exercise more care and caution. Not every matter is as frivolous as the latest Coke Studio remake.

That we are not blessed with the best politicians, bureaucrats and institutions in the world is hardly a state secret. What is more disturbing, however, is the state of the citizenry. It is essentially a good thing for the masses to feel involved in national life, but this can easily be overdone. There is way too much indignation (of the useless type) about everything. Throw in the compulsion on the part of everyone to instantly offer his passionate opinion on everything under the sun, and the sorry picture is complete. The situation on the ground certainly needs to improve in every sphere of life – and every meaningful effort in that direction is welcome – but can we please have some reduction in the levels of self-righteous cacophony?

Hasan Aftab Saeed is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be reached at hasanas@live.jp.

them vulnerable to private traders whereas the government says that the farm laws would open up new avenues for the farmers to increase their income.

The leaders of the protesting farmers are of the opinion that by approving these laws the government has simply shifted all responsibility of the agriculture sector to the hands of the private investors. These investors would exploit the helpless farmers and would try to earn more by depriving the farmers of their basic legal and moral rights.

Now the government and the farmers are in a state of war with each other; and neither of them is willing to step down. The protesters are camping on the outskirts of the national capital Delhi for over a month now but for the Modi ‘sarkar’ this advancement of the protesters is nothing to be worried about; it is worried only about the raised slogans in favor of Pakistan and Khalistan. Whether the clamor of the slogans in favour of Pakistan is a conspiracy of the opposition parties or the hidden sympathy and inclination of the protesting farmers towards Pakistan; the most interesting fact is that these slogans have introduced Pakistan as a towering lighthouse of care and support. Today all over the world wherever there is a reference to the protest of farmers in India; the reference to the slogan of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ also moves along.

Back in 1999, I still remember the evening, when I was introducing myself to a pretty German girl in Australia; I am from Pakistan and she asked me in a surprisingly strange way where Pakistan is. I, again, wish to meet the same girl; I am sure now I won’t have to tell her where Pakistan is; because it is all changed now. We have defeated a whole generation of foreign supported terrorists; we have very successfully countered the interference of hostile intelligence agencies in our country; we have crushed Indian dreams in Afghanistan; we have overcome a lot of our economic problems; and above all we have overpowered the horrible pandemic of Covid-19 by controlling the number of deaths. Thanks a lot to Mr.Modi for making the Indian farmers realize that from the Indian Occupied Kashmir to the trampled Sikh community and to the helpless farmers of India, Pakistan is always a ray of hope for all those passing through some trial and tribulation.

Ali Sukhanver is a freelance journalist.

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Tuesday, 12 January, 2021

COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

Lashing out against the PML-N

Setting the stage for the third decade of the 21st century The mess that is the Middle East

Washington Watch DR JAmES J ZogBy

A

S we enter the third decade of the 21st century, I’ve been reflecting on the current messy state of affairs in the Middle east and what can be done to move us forward. During the past two decades, I’ve written extensively on the region and exhaustively polled its peoples. I have drawn some of my observations from this work.

Ten years ago, I released Arab Voices: What They Are Saying and Why It Matters. It was based on our polling in the US and across the Arab World during the first decade of the 21st century and discussed what we, in the West, don’t know about the Arab World, why we don’t, and the tragic foreign policy mistakes resulting from our ignorance about the region and its peoples.

What we observed was that there were two seminal events that bracketed and defined that decade: the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the US invasion and occupation of Iraq. Of the two, the Iraq war proved to be the most consequential. Born of hubris and blind ideology, it was the most devastating American foreign policy blunder since Vietnam.

By the end of the first decade of the 21st century the lasting impact of the war was clear. The US, which had begun this century as the world’s unrivaled superpower, had embroiled itself in a costly, bloody, and needless war that it could never win. Its military had been humiliated and exhausted. The costs in lives and treasure, both American and Iraqi, had been incalculable. And worldwide respect for the US had suffered im-

measurably.

The war had other consequences. It both unleashed sectarian conflict in Iraq, while also empowering and emboldening Iran to meddle in Iraq and beyond. The behavior of the US occupation also fueled Sunni extremism giving al Qaeda new opportunities to recruit and grow.

One decade after Arab Voices appeared, I released The Tumultuous Decade based on our polling of Arab, Iranian, and Turkish public opinion during the second decade of the 21st century. What came through clearly was that the negative developments that shaped the first ten years of the century – sectarian conflict in Iraq, aggressive Iranian intervention, and diminished US capacity and leadership – were to have an increasingly devastating impact in the century’s second decade. Added to this already unsettled environment was the tumult created by what came to be called the “Arab Spring.”

The old regional order was collapsing and not in the way the naïve Bush Administration’s ideologues envisioned. They had predicted that a decisive victory in Iraq would result in the US emerging as the uncontested world superpower and democracy spreading across the Middle east. In fact, the opposite had occurred.

The Obama administration began with the great promise of digging the US out of the deep hole it inherited. But the task proved too great for the promises they made. Their missteps in Iraq, followed by their lack of follow-through and loss of interest in the region, not only let wounds fester, but also left the US in a weakened position, unable to play a constructive role.

The rushed US departure from Iraq left in place a deeply sectarian government that served to exacerbate Sunni resentment causing al

Qaeda to morph into the even more lethal Daesh. In short order, this movement terrorized its way into controlling a sizable piece of Iraq.

The Obama Administration fared no better in the rest of the region. They made several promising starts in addressing the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, but when confronted by Israeli intransigence and strong pro-Israel support in Congress, they faltered. And when confronted by the Arab Spring, the Obama administration found itself on the horns of a dilemma. They dithered in egypt, Syria, and Yemen and then intervened in Libya with no intention, or capacity, to follow through, thus contributing to making a bad situation worse.

The administration’s one accomplishment, the Iran nuclear deal, only served to aggravate regional tensions. It may have removed the threat of the Iranian nuclear program, but it resulted in further emboldening Iran’s regional meddling, while provoking Sunni states who had grown increasingly concerned with Iran’s aggressive and boastful role in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

What additionally came to define this decade were the roles being played by politicized or weaponized Sunni or Shi’a movements who were preying on deep unrest and causing chaos and conflict in egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, Yemen, and, of course, Iraq. Instead of a unipolar world with the US in the lead, the region became a virtual battleground of multipolarity, engaging the US, Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the leading Sunni Gulf Arab States.

In a follow-up article I will examine how the Trump administration only aggravated the mess they inherited and conclude by presenting some bold ideas for the Biden administration to consider moving forward.

What additionally came to define this decade were the roles being played by politicized or weaponized Sunni or Shi’a movements who were preying on deep unrest and causing chaos and conflict in Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, Yemen, and, of course, Iraq.

Instead of a unipolar world with the US in the lead, the region became a virtual battleground of multipolarity, engaging the US, Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the leading Sunni Gulf Arab States.

Dr James J Zogby is President, Arab American Institute.

ADVISeR to Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior, Shahzad Akbar on Monday said that PML-N leadership has been once again exposed before the people as they made failed attempts to conceal their properties, and tried to fool the people again by telling oft repeated lies.

Addressing a press conference here, he said that Nawaz Sharif used the platform of parliament to protect his ill- gotten assets, adding that due to growing public awareness and other factors Nawaz Sharif could not further misguide people through such tactics. Shahzad Akbar said that Nawaz Sharif, after Panama leaks, addressed the nation and approached the court where he made contradictory statements, and the Supreme Court after conducting long proceedings declared him dishonest and disqualified him. he said they had claimed that work permit ‘Aqama’ and not ‘corruption’ was the reason behind their disqualification by the court. Shahzad Akbar said that it was not just a matter about work permit as any public office holder could commit money laundering under the umbrella of work permit.

Shehzad Akbar said as per NAB law if a person’s assets did not match his source of income, the person could be considered corrupt, or his assets were ill-gotten. he said that Prime Minister Imran Khan set a fine example by presenting his complete money trail in the court due to which the court declared him honest. he added that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was the only political party in the country which had transparent fund raising procedures as practiced by other parties across the globe, adding PTI had submitted all details about its funds to the election Commission of Pakistan. he said that PML-N leadership ,including Maryam Nawaz, once again resorted to propaganda after a news came out from London about Aven field that the case had been dismissed, which was not true. he said Broadsheet Company which was hired by then NAB for tracing the assets of Pakistanis had got a Charging Order Act on Aven field Apartment from a court so that this property could not be disposed off until Broadsheet Company got its payments,adding that later the company withdrew its charging order after being paid for its loans. he said that then DG ,NAB and Attorney General were answerable for the “agreement” which they made with the Broadsheet Company. The Advisor said that the PML-N leaders termed it ‘political victimization’ whenever accountability process was started against them, adding that people of the country were aware of lies and corruption of PML-N and how they plundered the national exchequer. he said former defence minister Khawaja Asif had claimed that he was employed in a company in Dubai and was getting salary of Rs 140 million rupees in cash, whereas actually the money was being transferred in a bank account. Shahzad Akbar said that Nawaz Sharif was allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment after the reports of the medical board, adding that he was allowed to travel as per judicial order. he said that when Maryam Nawaz was summoned by NAB, she along with a number of party activists attacked the NAB office as she followed in the footsteps of her father who had attacked the Supreme Court. he said that efforts were being made to bring Nawaz Sharif back to the country.

Shahzad Raza ISlamabad

Blackout and restoration The power breakdowns resulting in countrywide blackout sometimes do happen but the unacceptable part is the enormous delay in restoration of the power system to normal , which in this case of last Sunday night shut down took from 10 to 18 hours to restore across the country . The financial bankruptcy of the power sector is well known when the circular debt has crossed Rs 2.3 tr . With this massive system breakdown and unprecedented delays in power restoration , the lack of technical skills of the power ministry , NPCC , NTDC and generation & distribution companies have also come to lime light . Pending an honest investigation into the causes of the system collapse , one thing is absolutely certain that the monitoring & control staff managing the national power control centre ( NPCC ) who are responsible for safe and optimal power system operation have failed to restore the power system in a relatively shorter time . At the same time , a single fault anywhere in the power network should not result in cascade trippings of all extra high voltage lines and in isolation and tripping of almost all the powerplants plunging the whole country into darkness , had the protection gear were in proper working order . Only the faulty section should have been disconnected and shut down sparing the rest of the healthy system to continue supplying power . Such a vast shutdown results into billions of Rupees loss to the exchequer in addition to the great inconvenience in all walks of life . A thorough probe by the competent experts is warranted to pinpoint the weak points in the power system operation and their rectification soonest possible so that such incidences do not repeat .

EngR RIaz bhutta lahoRE

Time to talk ReCeNTLY I had bumped into an interesting news item through some American english newspapers. Incidentally, that news piece and my mindset have been on the same page. It was all about the tendency of the people to speak over the phone. Due to the current corona pandemic, a lot of interesting things have started taking place. first off, there is no doubt the people have been staying put on the Internet much of the time - like most professionals have been telecommuting whereas students have been learning online - no in-school activities as such. Aside from the heavy Internet use, a steady increase in the volume of voice calls is one of such interesting facts now. Most people in the West have been emotionally turning to the regular voice calls to speak to their parents, family members and peers not to mention the landline phone calls. Still, I have been able to hear the beautiful beep of those landline phones in my areas like Korkai, Tuticorin, Tiruchendur, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. factually, working from home, the slow disappearance of personal touch in the corporate world and the occupancy of the robocalls have been playing havoc with the professional life. As results of this and the pandemic, the Westerners have been telephoning and phoning a lot compared to the past. I would usually get so many personal calls from my family circle to my various workstations like Coimbatore, Bangalore, hyderabad, Mumbai. Concurrently, the mobile operators from the east and the West should pay much attention to tweaking the quality of the voice calls. By the way, that news piece was also talking about the undisputed, unique world of landlines in the US. P SEnthIl SaRavana duRaI mumbaI

Tuesday, 12 January, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

The naRCissisT in Chief bRings iT all CRashing dOwn AN ENDING AS TERRIBLE AS IT WAS PREDICTABLE ENGULFS THE PRESIDENT AND THE COUNTRY

nEw YoRk TimEs

O

JENNifEr SENior

UR president has never been a very stable man. But I’m trying to think of what threshold of loco he had to clear in order for one of his senior advisers to confide in my colleague Maggie Haberman that Donald J. Trump “lost it” on the day of the insurrection.

Or for an administration official to describe him as “a total monster” to The Washington Post the next day.

Or for Representative Adam Kinzinger, a member of Trump’s own party, to call for the cabinet and the vice president to invoke the 25th Amendment because we require “a sane captain of the ship” to steer us through the administration’s final days, and “all indications are that the president has become unmoored, not just from his duty, or even his oath, but from reality itself.”

Our president has always been out there.

But on Jan. 6, 2021, he clearly reached es-

cape velocity and hurtled into space.

We shouldn’t be surprised. The president’s flight into the ozone of crazy was as inevitable as the country’s descent into anarchy — and almost certainly intertwined.

Trump, as I and many others have noted, impeccably meets the criteria of a malignant narcissist, and he has a defect in moral conscience that is emblematic of psychopaths.

People like this do not react well to being fired, divorced or kicked out of any club.

They’re ego hemophiliacs. Their self-esteem cannot self-repair. And so the president is now doing exactly what all pathological narcissists of the malignant, conscience-free variety do when they’ve been given the boot.

They behave dangerously.

They claim they are victims. They lie, reject facts and call foul play. They blame everything — and everyone — for their failures except themselves. They accuse even their most loyal supporters of treachery. (On Thursday a White House official told The Washington Post that Trump was so angry at Mike Pence “he couldn’t see straight.”

Pence! But as I’ve often said, you can never love a narcissist enough.)They take one reckless, desperate risk after another to keep their amour propre intact.And most important, they lash out with a mighty vindictiveness, often destroying the very institution — or spouse, family, whatever it is — they were once sworn to nurture.

Which in this case is democracy itself.

Trump is a man who found failure so intolerable, so humiliating, that he was willing to incite an acre-wide mob to violent insurrection, both in and around the Capitol, on Congress’s election certification day. either he would get what he wanted or no one would.

Five are now dead.“now we gather due to a selfish man’s injured pride,” as Mitt Romney said the night of the siege.

You know who could have predicted this? Researchers who specialize in bad C.e.O. behavior. They’ve seen this movie dozens of times before. It’s textbook stuff.

“It should be absolutely no surprise that this is where we are,” Jennifer Chatman, a professor of management at the Haas School of Business at Berkeley who has written extensively about narcissistic leaders, told me.

“It’s never a pretty transition when they have to go.” They’re too entitled. They’re too in the habit of sowing distrust. They have disdain for rules — which in fact made them terrible leaders in the first place, prone to cheating and stealing and grift. “They leave their organizations in terrible shape, both from a structural and cultural point of view.”

As Trump has left the Republican Party. And the country at large.

Charles O’Reilly, a management professor at Stanford and a frequent collaborator with Chatman, reminded me that Adam neumann, the disgraced, extravagantly

Russia’s military in the 2020s THE RUSSIAN MILITARY INDUSTRY WILL FACE THE PROSPECT OF EITHER BEING DRAINED UNDER THE BURDEN OF DEBTS AND UNDERFINANCED PROJECTS, OR OF DRAINING RUSSIAN TAXPAYERS RiddlE Russia

T

PaVEl lUZiN

He performance, trends and problems accumulated in previous years have left a mark on the Russian army as it marches through the 2020s.

Problems include the gap between the declared and actual number of troops, fraught inter-regimental relations, and unresolved issues with command and communications systems. That is to say nothing of the economic and technical problems inherited by state-owned defence companies.

That said, troop mobility is constantly being improved.

This was most recently shown in november 2020 when a peacekeeping contingent was deployed to nagornoKarabakh. Within a few days: almost 2,000 people arrived, along with cars, light armoured vehicles and helicopters.

In 2020, the Kremlin officially announced it had achieved the goals of modernising the armed forces set back in the early 2010s. now, according to the authorities, it’s time to move forward. On the one hand, Moscow needs to continue procuring new arms, defence technology and military vehicles and upgrading its existing stocks. On the other, there is still the problem of limited resources, which has worsened over the past five or six years. By 2020, this became a qualitative, rather than a merely quantitative, problem. It is no longer only about how much the Kremlin spends on defence and how it allocates defence orders.

THE PROSPECT OF INCREASED ARMY SPENDING: The Russian government spent roughly 3.1 trillion roubles under the ‘national Defence’ budgetary item in 2020. These were funds earmarked for maintaining the armed forces and for purchasing arms, defence technology and military vehicles.

Due to inflation and the continuous depreciation of the rouble against major world currencies, military expenditure for 2021–2023 had to be increased. Moreover, the 2020 economic downturn and the sharp decrease in budget revenue imposed a degree of moderation on spending. Apparently, planned military expenditure initially exceeded 10 trillion roubles. Moderation is untenable for long, however.

The Kremlin will eventually have to up its military spending over the next ten years regardless of the country’s real economic growth. Incidentally, this applies not only to the armed forces but also to paramilitary services that are part of the Russian defence system (the FSB, Rosgvardiya).

Indeed, the ongoing haggling around military spending led to a public squabble between the Ministry of Defence

and the Ministry of Finance in October–December 2020.

Finance officials proposed cutting the army headcount (financed under the ‘national Defence’ budgetary item) from 1 million to 900,000, extending the duration of service required for an officer to be entitled to a military pension and cutting other financial costs. These proposals saw serious resistance from the Ministry of Defence.

Taking into account how the actual size of the Russian Armed Forces can be estimated at 740,000–780,000 military personnel, a formal commitment not to increase the size of the army to 1 million would be expedient. However, this requires a political rather than a technical decision. Indeed, it would involve a partial revision of the ideological foundations of the Russian political system. These foundations include the idea of a never-ending confrontation with the West and continuity of the Soviet army tradition, as well as the notion of contrasting the Putin era with the perestroika period and the first post-Soviet decade. An army of less than a million would signify a major shift within the Russian system of power. As for early military retirement pensions, it is one of the traditional incentives used to maintain morale and loyalty among the officer corps. Loyalty was already put to the test during the vote for ‘Putin’s Constitution’ in the summer of 2020.

Thus, traditional annual declarations of the successful modernisation of the armed forces are only a smokescreen for the growing shortage of resources needed for their maintenance and upgrading. However, no resources will be commensurate with Russia’s capabilities and objective external threats. The solution implies the need to downsize paramilitary agencies. But that entails changing Russia’s political system and economic model.

MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEXITY: The Russian defence industry closes the decade under growing pressure from new US sanctions introduced in november–December 2020. These affect not only arms manufacturing but also civilian production, especially in the aerospace sector. As in the 2010s, the mismatch between the objectives and needs of the Russian leadership is palpable. A prosaic reality of arms development and manufacturing will persist, if not worsen, in the 2020s.

Let’s take a look at the most striking examples. In 2020, given the economic crisis and errors in the organisation of military production amid the pandemic, defence companies accumulated huge debts.

Back in the summer of 2019, for example, these companies were said to have more than 2 trillion roubles in debts to Russian banks, 600–700 billion of which was irrecoverable and had to be written off. In January 2020, the problem was declared resolved, although no details

grandiose former C.e.O. of WeWork — his ambitions included becoming the world’s first trillionaire and living forever — presented an I.P.O. prospectus that was patently bonkers in a last-ditch effort to save his company. It sounded awfully reminiscent of Trump’s deluded lawsuits.

O’Reilly added that most boards fail to stop such leaders, swooping in only when the company is falling apart, because they have too many incentives (money, power) to see them succeed.

It sounded an awful lot like Congress.

And every former White House official who’s finally speaking up.

You know where else you can find letter-perfect predictions of the president’s current behavior? Self-help books dedicated to helping people break up with the rotten narcissists in their lives. Seriously. I started burrowing into them in the last few days, more on a daffy hunch than anything else, and it turned out I could basically open any page — and I mean any page — and find something relevant to the president’s current behavior: That narcissists lurch between the role of victim and tormentor; that they are minor Shivas, destroyers of worlds; that they howl on and on about betrayal.

But it was this common thread that stood out: Pathological narcissists make a point of saying that their former partners would have been — and will be once again — nothing without them.

It rhymed with something a White House official recently said Trump was spewing about Pence: “All day, it was a theme of, ‘I made this guy, I saved him from a political death, and here he stabbed me in the back.’ ”

emerged. In December 2020, however, it appeared that defence companies had increased their debts to almost 3 trillion roubles, with debts worth 350 billion fully written off and others worth 260 billion restructured. Loans worth another 150 billion roubles are being prepared for restructuring. Thus, the problem of the systemic unprofitability of state-owned defence companies persists.

The Kremlin has two options. One is long-term, sevenyear contracts for manufacturing arms, defence technology and military vehicles. These could enable companies to build up stocks of materials and avoid excessive production costs from inflation and other expenses. Option two: greater restrictions on imported goods.

The share of Russian production in public and corporate procurement increased from 13.3% in 2019 to 24.2% in 2020; a further increase is planned. The problem is, both options imply that companies can continue with what they are already manufacturing or developing based on borrowed technologies. This will not create room for exponential growth. Russia’s desire to further refrain from participation in the international division of labour is fraught with the same consequences.

PROCUREMENT PROBLEMS: Another example is the delay in the adoption of the GLOnASS satellite navigation system development programme for 2021–2030 and implementation of other projects. These problems are most likely due to Russia’s limited access to imported electronics, which impedes a new generation of navigation satellites. The government earmarked 480 billion roubles ($6.64bn at the 2020 average exchange rate) for the GLOnASS programme compared with the previous edition of the programme (for 2012–2020), which cost 280 billion roubles. That is, the planned expenditure was estimated at more than $9bn at the time of approval; actual spending was equivalent to over $5bn at current prices, given the devaluation of the rouble. Meanwhile, up to 70% of Russian navigation satellites depend on imported electronics. The funds allocated for the next decade will at best suffice to replace the GLOnASS system’s satellites, if Russia manages to produce its own electronics and/or get them from other sources.

One more example: the construction of Borei-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines and Yasen-class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines. In the coming decade, the Russian navy is expected to receive six Boreiand eight Yasen-class submarines. In the 2010s, it was supplied with four Borei-class submarines and one Yasen-class submarine instead of the originally planned eight Borei– and seven Yasen-class submarines. Moreover, it appears that the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant is ramping up the production of Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missiles (with which Borei-class submarines are armed) at the expense of Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).

There is no other feasible explanation for how 2021 will see a reduction in the supply of Yars missiles; previously, up to 16 Yars missiles were delivered annually. Currently, the military are planning to put only 13 missiles on combat alert. That is, Yars missiles combined with Avangard missiles (carried by the Soviet UR-100nUTTKh ICBM, which is now being re-equipped with a new guided bomb unit).

Thus, the sums the Kremlin is willing to spend on this segment of the Russian defence industry in the coming years also fall short of actual needs.

It turns out that, in the 2020s, the Russian military industry will face the prospect of either being drained under the burden of debts and underfinanced projects, or of draining Russian taxpayers.

Pavel Luzin is a specialist in international relations and an expert on the Russian Armed Forces.

I do not by any means wish to suggest that Trump’s disordered personality is the key to understanding his presidency. It is, in some ways, almost tedious, exactly what makes him boring and uncomplicated, as shallow as a spoon.

But I also think it’s impossible to understand Trump’s behavior without looking at him through the prism of his pathologies, which at this moment are threatening lives.

He may have made a robotic statement on Thursday that condemned Wednesday’s violence and implicitly conceded the election.

It’s too late.

Trump remains a domestic security risk, and he’s made us a target for our enemies.

They know that a fragile, unbalanced man is at the helm, his nerves as combustible as dry leaves. He’s desperate, and he’s angry, and he’s baitable. It makes us unsafe. We need to get him out.

You needn’t be a particularly astute observer of the Trump presidency to understand that his incendiary, hateful policies and rhetoric and mirthful disregard for the law would one day end in violence. But you needn’t be a particularly astute observer of character, either, to see that a man who feels no empathy, exploits ruthlessly, lies reflexively, seeks success at any cost and lives in terror of seeing it vanish would never go quietly.

Jennifer Senior has been an Op-Ed columnist since September 2018. She had been a daily book critic for The Times; before that, she spent many years as a staff writer for New York magazine. Her best-selling book, "All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood," has been translated into 12 languages.

Court review of farm laws welcome Economic TimEs

O

Editorial

ne proposal from the Centre in the course of discussions with the agitating farmers is for the farmers to challenge in the Supreme Court the constitutional propriety of the farm laws. This proposal is welcome. There is little dispute that the validity or otherwise of the policy on farm trade and production underlying the new laws is the government’s business and not the court’s. However, whether the Centre has the right to frame laws on trade in farm produce, given that agriculture is in the State List of subjects, is a question that the Supreme Court is best placed to answer.

The government relies on entry 33, Clause b of the Concurrent List, to assume the authority to make the laws in dispute. entry 33 (b) is foodstuffs, including edible oilseeds and oils. A petition before the court challenges introduction, in 1954, of entry 33 in the Concurrent List, because it infringes on the states’ right to frame laws on, under entry 14 of the State List, agriculture, and, under entry 26, trade and commerce within the state.

However, entry 26 is qualified by the phrase, subject to entry 33 of the Concurrent List. Whether trade in farm produce other than oilseeds, raw cotton, raw jute and cattle fodder, all of which are specifically mentioned in entry 33, falls in the Concurrent List depends on whether foodstuffs can mean raw produce such as rice and wheat. The Supreme Court is best placed to pronounce on this, and it should be asked to.

There is another matter of constitutional propriety in the farm laws. This pertains to the exclusion of disputes under the laws from the ambit of the courts, intended as they are to be resolved by committees of civil servants. The farmers should take up the Centre’s offer to put these questions before the court while leaving the aspect of policy choice to the government.

The Centre has the duty to form policy to end mindless production of unwanted grain. Whether it is best discharged by the new laws, or crop diversification policy should be added, is not for the court to decide.

Tuesday, 12 January, 2021

BUSINESS 09

Car sales up 20pc YoY in December NEWS DESK The sale of motorcars in Pakistan (excluding KIA) increased 15 per cent year-on-year to 13,870 units in December 2020 when compared with the December 2019, data resealed by the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) showed. However, if the sales figures of Lucky Motor Corporation-KIA (a non-member of PAMA) are included, the overall sales increased 20pc YoY in Dec 2020. As compared to Dec 2019, the sales of Indus Motor Company (INDU) and Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Limited (HCAR) registered an increase of 72pc YoY and 76pc YoY, respectively. On the other hand, Pak Suzuki (PSMC) sales declined by 13pc YoY. New entrants Hyundai Nishat sold 511 units, while Lucky Motor-KIA sold around 600 units in Dec 2020, as per data issued by Topline Research Pakistan. On a month-on-month basis, car sales declined by 4pc in Dec 2020 as compared to Nov 2020.

"The decline was driven by HCAR (-21pc MoM) and INDU (-19pc MoM) as the new-year effect kicked in."

Meanwhile, Atlas Honda (ATLH) recorded motorbike sales of 106,030 units in Dec 2020, up 25pc YoY. Cumulatively, in the first half of FY21, ATLH sales have increased by 20pc YoY. Also, tractor sales increased 188pc YoY but only 3pc MoM in Dec 2020; Millat Tractors (MTL) sales surged 196pc YoY (+28pc MoM), while Al Ghazi Tractors (AGTL) sales increased 146pc YoY (-62pc MoM), respectively. "We expect demand for cars to grow stronger owing to low interest rates environment and pickup in economic activity,” the research house commented.

MARKET DAILY

PSX snaps three-day rally on profit-booking KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) failed to sustain bullish momentum from the previous week, as the benchmark index, after crossing 46,000-mark for the first time since April 2018, lost control and ended in the red. Global equity markets, on the other hand, displayed optimism, whereas crude oil prices dipped lower from the previous close; WTI oil price falling 0.84pc to $51.80, while Brent crude price declining 1.41pc to $55.20 (as at 3:55pm PST).

"The index crossed another milestone of 46K on Monday, but profit booking, mainly in banking and oil & gas marketing sectors, dented the market badly," a report issued by Arif Habib Ltd read. "International crude prices remained range bound, which caused lackluster activity in E&P stocks, whereas fertilizer stocks inched up on the expectation of an increase in urea prices, albeit profit booking kept the rise in check.” SUMMARY The benchmark KSE-100 Index started the day on a positive note, recording its intraday high at 46,109.36 after accumulating 455.02 points.

The index, however, lost momentum thereon and fell to its intraday low at 45,529.48 (-124.86 points). It finally settled lower by 48.92 points at 45,605.42. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index lost 170.44 points to end at 73,819.69, while the KSE All Share Index dropped 50.29 points, closing at 31,839.24. The overall market volumes declined from 696.4 million shares in the previous session to 588.0 million shares (-16pc). Average traded value also dipped 18pc, from $ 135.1 million to $110.6 million. Silk Bank Ltd (SILK +11.93pc), Hum Network Ltd (HUMNL +15.5pc) and Byco Petroleum Pakistan Ltd (BYCO 4.90pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 69.92 million, 64.06 million and 61.52 million shares, respectively. Sectors that dragged the benchmark index lower included banking (-43.90 points), textile composite (-21.49 points) and technology & communication (-19.82 points). Among the companies, United Bank Ltd (UBL -22.91 points), Meezan Bank Ltd (MEBL -19.96 points) and Pakistan Petroleum Ltd (PPL -15.13 points) dented the index the most.

Losing 0.25pc from its total market capitalization, the oil & gas exploration sector ended as the session's worst performer, with POL, PPL and OGDC positing losses.

CDWP approves four health projects worth Rs20bn ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Monday approved four health sector projects worth over Rs20 billion. The meeting of the CDWP was held with Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan in the chair. Senior officials from the federal government were also present on the occasion, whereas representatives from provincial governments participated through video links. The approved projects included the establishment of three 200-bedded Mother & Child Hospital and Nursing Colleges in various districts of Punjab; two hospitals/nursing institutes would be established at a cost of Rs5.82 billion each, while the third would be constructed at Rs8.1 billion. The main objective of these three projects is to improve access of marginalized communities to quality maternity and immediate newborn care. The hospitals/nursing schools will also ensure quality services, including medical and surgical services, to mother and child so as to strengthen preventive services like immunization, nutrition and family planning to children and mother of the catchment population. APP

'GooD NEWS' SooN foR mARkEtS About REStARtiNG imf PRoGRAmmE: SbP GovERNoR ISLAMABAD

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AGENCIES

TATE Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Reza Baqir has said that Pakistan is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to put the fiscal support programme back on track, adding that he was optimistic about the economic outlook despite the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

“We hope to have good news for the market and the world that we are putting the programme back on track,” the country’s central bank governor said in an interview at the Reuters Next conference on Monday.

With dwindling foreign exchange reserves and a struggling economy, Pakistan entered a three-year $6 billion IMF bailout programme in 2019 but is yet to have its second review approved, which has been pending since early last year.

Last year, staff from the IMF and Pakistani authorities reached an agreement to pave the way for a

disbursement of $450 million in IMF funds pending approval from the global lender’s executive board, which is yet to take place.

Baqir said there was no disagreement on the end goal between the two sides, and that Pakistan needs to increase its low tax to GDP ratio.

Pakistan and the IMF have been working to implement IMF-supported economic reforms, in particular tax collection, aimed at stabilising the economy and shoring up a yawning fiscal deficit.

Though the bailout programme is still pending, Pakistan received $1.4 billion in emergency financing from the IMF to allow it to fund targeted and temporary spending increases aimed at containing the pandemic and mitigating its economic impact.

Authorities are counting on the IMF bailout package to bolster Pakistan’s fiscal position and increase global confidence in its economy.

“Pakistani authorities and the IMF team remain closely engaged, discussions are going on, both teams

FBR urges traders, taxpayers to make use of electronic payment facility ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has urged traders and taxpayers to utilise e-payment facilities, as they help reduce cost of doing business and contribute significantly towards improving the ease of doing business.

"On the one hand, traders can electronically pay all import duties and taxes through customs computerized system ‘WeBOC’ at ports and border stations across Pakistan, while on the other hand, taxpayers can also electronically pay income tax, sales tax and federal excise duty sitting in their homes," said FBR in a statement issued on Monday. "The e-payment system provides round the clock facility to taxpayers and traders to make online payment of customs duties and other FBR taxes as well as provincial cess and stamp duty."

The facility is available through internet and mobile banking by using more than 15,000 ATMs of 16,000 Over the Counters (OTC) bank branches of commercial banks spreading across the country.

As per the FBR, taxpayers’ confidence and interest in e-payment is growing fast and it can be gauged from the fact that the proportion of number of e-payments of income tax, sales tax and federal excise duty has increased from 6.26pc of total payments during July to December 2019 to 40.5pc during same period of 2020.

Similarly, the proportion of amount deposited in these e-payments has increased from 13.55pc of total payments to 76.5pc during the comparative periods.

"E-payment facility has greatly helped the traders and other taxpayers' during the Covid pandemic since all transactions can be completed without physical interaction. Currently, 18.6pc of import duties and taxes are being collected by Pakistan Customs through the epayment system. More than 80,000 consignments consisting of nearly 22pc of total imports were cleared in WeBOC through EPayment in the last 6 months. Apart from major customs stations including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar, the facility is also being availed by importers in remote areas like Taftan and Khunjerab."

Sindh CNG stations to remain closed till Thursday morning KARACHI TLTP

The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has announced to keep compressed natural gas (CNG) stations in Sindh closed for three days i.e. from Monday to Wednesday.

According to an official statement released on Monday, CNG in the province will now be

available at 8 am on Thursday as the gas crisis escalates in the country, while LNG stations will remain closed as well. It is pertinent to mention here that according to a statement by the Petroleum Division spokesperson in December 2020, the government had announced that it has arranged 12 LNG cargoes for January 2021.

He had said that additional LNG has also been arranged in some cargoes.

are working very hard and non stop to bring the programme review to a positive conclusion,” IMF’s Resident Representative to Pakistan, Teresa Dabán Sanchez, told Reuters.

COVID-19 AND VACCINE: Baqir also said he is more optimistic about the outlook even as Pakistan battles a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak.

“We are prepared for the challenges that may come about. We are already in the middle of a pandemic without any vaccine and once the vaccine comes, it will only make this better,” he said.

Pakistan’s economy contracted 0.4pc in the last fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, as the pandemic disrupted activity.

Baqir added that an economic recovery is underway and the bank’s job is to support the rebound until a vaccine is available.

“Pakistan is aiming to achieve 1.5pc to 2.5pc GDP growth in the current fiscal year,” he said.

“I think the next two or three years should bring some good news on the economic front.”

NEPRA notifies Rs1.06 per unit hike in power tariff ISLAMABAD AHMAD AHMADANI

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has notified Rs1.06 per unit hike in power tariff under the head 'fuel cost adjustment' (FCA) for the months of October and November 2020. According to the notification, the FCA for October and November 2020 would be charged in the billing month of January 2021 to all consumer categories of power distributing companies (DISCOs), except lifeline consumers i.e. those having consumption up to 50 units. This FCA will not be applicable to K-Electric consumers. NEPRA has approved an FCA of Rs0.2925 per unit (impact of Rs2.9 billion) for the month of October 2020, and FCA of Rs0.7696 per unit (impact of Rs5.5 billion) for the month of November 2020. Earlier, the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) had requested NEPRA to approve an FCA of Rs0.5713 per unit for October 2020, and Rs0.9583 per unit for the month of November 2020. A hearing for both FCAs was held on December 30, 2020. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 31(7) of the Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power Act 1997, (NEPRA Act) read with the mechanism/formula determined by the authority in the tariff determinations for ExWAPDA DISCOs for the FY2017-18 and notified in the official gazette, the authority has to make adjustments in the approved tariff on account of any variations in the fuel charges on a monthly basis.

On the date axed for hearing, representatives from CPPA-G, National Power Control Center (NPCC), National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC), DISCOs, media and general public were present; however, no representative from WAPDA Power Privatization Organization (WPPO), Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL), Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Finance attended the hearing despite service of notice.

Sugar prices to remain steady as production likely to increase, NPMC told ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Production of sugar is likely to increase this year due to improved sugarcane crushing activity, which would release pressure on the upward price trend, the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) was informed on Monday.

The meeting, which was chaired by Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, reviewed the availability of essential commodities, including wheat, sugar, eggs, edible oil etc. Industries and Production Minister Hammad Azhar, National Food Security and Research (NFS&R) Minister Syed Fakhar Imam, Special Assistant to Prime Min-

ister (SAPM) on Revenue Waqar Masood Khan, federal and provincial chief secretaries, FBR chairman, CCP members, TCP chairman, PASSCO MD, USC MD and senior officers of the Finance Division were present on the occasion.

A Punjab government official briefed the meeting that strict action has been taken against the role of middlemen in the sugarcane market as directed

by NPMC. He informed that prices of sugar are currently stable in the province; however, in some areas, a marginal hike has been observed due to fog and extreme weather conditions.

Similarly, the meeting was informed that prices of wheat and eggs

have registered a downward trend due to coordinated and consolidated efforts of the provincial governments, while Hammad Azhar apprised the forum of steps being taken to control prices of edible oil and ghee.

The NFS&R minister told the NPMC about the current status of wheat stock across the country, assuring that all possible measures will be taken to ensure an uninterrupted supply of wheat at affordable prices.

Further, a member of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) presented a live dashboard of prices of essential items for comparative analysis. The system is prepared by PBS to monitor food prices and figure out price fluctu-

ations for timely decision making and smooth coordination among provincial governments and departments concerned. The finance minister appreciated the concerned ministries and departments for keeping the prices of essential commodities in check. He, however, directed the provincial governments to strictly continue the momentum of strict price monitoring for provision of basic items at affordable prices across the country.

Towards the end, the NPMC directed PBS to hold a meeting with all provincial governments to remove price disparity in essential items and urged them to draw maximum benefit from the newly developed system.

Tuesday, 12 January, 2021

10 foreign news

Still hoping: indoneSianS await newS of relativeS on miSSing plane JAKARTA agencies

“Bye bye family. We’re heading home for now,” Ratih Windania posted on Instagram from Jakarta’s airport with pictures of three laughing children and two emojis blowing kisses.

The message was sent just before they boarded a plane from the Indonesian capital on Saturday that crashed into the sea minutes after take-off, carrying 62 passengers and crew.

“Pray for us,” her brother Irfansyah Riyanto posted on Instagram with a picture of the family.

Indonesian authorities said they had recovered pieces of wreckage and body parts on Sunday from the waters north of the capital where Sriwijaya Air Flight SJ 182 disappeared in rainy weather.

Like dozens of other desperate relatives, Irfansyah rushed to Jakarta’s Soekarno Hatta airport late on Saturday. On Sunday, he was still hoping for good news about his sister and four other family members on the flight,

including his parents.

“We feel powerless, we can only wait and hope to have any information soon,” Irfansyah told reporters.

China reports biggest daily Covid-19 case jump in over 5 months

Irfansyah said his relatives had originally been due to take an earlier flight operated by Sriwijaya’s unit NAM Air and he was unclear why that was changed.

His sister and her two children had been at the end of a three-week holiday and were taking the 740 km (460 mile) trip home to Pontianak on the island of West Kalimantan.

“I was the one who drove them to the airport, helped with the check-ins and the luggage … I feel like I still can’t believe this and it happened too fast,” Irfansyah said.

The flight disappeared from radar screens minutes after the plane took off and reached an altitude of 10,900 feet.

DNA SAMPLES: Indonesian authorities said they had tracked signals likely from the plane’s black boxes on Sunday. Police asked families to provide information to help identify any bodies retrieved such as dental records and DNA samples.

At the police hospital, the brother of copilot Diego Mamahit said he had been asked for a blood sample.

“I believe my younger brother survived, these are just for the police procedure,” Chris Mamahit said. “Diego is a good man, we still believe Diego survived.”

On his LinkedIn profile, Mahamit had written “I really love to fly.”

He and pilot Afwan, who goes by only one name, had nearly two decades of commercial flying experience between them.

Afwan had previously been an air force pilot.

“We the family still hope for good news,” a family member of Afwan, a devout Muslim, told Detik.com.

President Joko Widodo offered sympathy on Sunday.

“We are making our best efforts to find and rescue the victims and we all pray that they can be found,” he said.

Panca Widiya Nursanti, a middle-school teacher in Pontianak, had been returning after a vacation in her home town of Tegal in Central Java. In Pontianak, her husband Rafiq Yusuf Al Idrus recounted the last contact he had with her.

“I was joking by saying that when she arrived in Pontianak we would eat satay together,” he said.

“She contacted me via Whatsapp at 2.05 p.m with laughter. She was already boarding the plane and she said the weather conditions were not good. I said pray a lot, please.”

US to designate Yemen’s Houthi movement as foreign terror group: sources

Agencies People scan a QR code for checking health condition as they enter a market, following new cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country, in Beijing, China January 11, 2021.

SHANGHAI/BEIJING: Mainland China saw its biggest daily increase in Covid-19 cases in over five months, the country’s health authority said on Monday, as new infections in Hebei province surrounding Beijing continued to rise. A county in northeastern Heilongjiang province on Monday moved into lockdown after reporting new coronavirus infections, state television also reported separately.

Hebei accounted for 82 of the 85 new local infections reported on Jan. 10, the National Health Commission (NHC) said in a statement, with Liaoning province also reporting two new cases and Beijing reporting one new case. The country also saw 18 new imported infections from overseas.

The total number of new Covid-19 cases stood at 103, the highest since 127 cases were reported on July 30. Though the recent case tallies remain a small fraction of what the country saw at the height of the outbreak in early 2020, authorities are moving aggressively to curb its spread to avoid another national wave of infections. The surge comes as the World Health Organization’s team of investigators probing the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic are set to arrive in China on Thursday. The NHC, which announced their arrival date on Monday, declined to provide the team’s itinerary. China has been accused of initially covering up the outbreak that first emerged in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019, which critics say delayed China’s initial response and allowed Covid-19 to spread globally. The current wave of local cases first erupted in the port city of Dalian in Liaoning in mid-December. As winter advanced, other northern provinces – Heilongjiang, Hebei and Jilin – started to report more infections. Dalian on Monday blamed its outbreak on contaminated foreign vessels, saying the gene-sequencing information of the virus was different from that in previous outbreaks. Most of the infected were dock workers handling cargoes from one ship from Russia, a Dalian official told reporters.

NEW LOCAL INFECTIONS: Shijiazhuang, Hebei’s capital and the epicentre of the new outbreak in the province, is in lockdown. People and vehicles are being barred from leaving Shijiazhuang, while public transport in the city has also been halted. Shijiazhuang accounted for 77 of the 82 new Covid-19 cases and all of the 49 new asymptomatic cases reported in Hebei province on Jan. 10. Wangkui county, under the jurisdiction of Suihua city in Heilongjiang, reported eight new asymptomatic cases and on Monday closed all non-essential businesses, banned people from leaving the city and blocked all non-essential traffic, state television also reported. Changchun, capital of Jilin, reported four new asymptomatic cases on Monday — the province’s first local infections since July 26. The infected persons had all travelled from Wangkui county recently via train, Jilin health authorities said. The residential compounds of the infected were under lockdown, with people and vehicles not allowed to leave the premises, the Changchun health authority said. Hebei said on Monday that several sections of highways in the province have been closed, and vehicles registered to Shijiazhuang and Xingtai will be asked to go back. The latter city has also reported Covid-19 cases in recent days. The NHC reported 76 new asymptomatic cases for all of mainland China, up from 27 a day earlier. China does not count individuals who have tested positive for the coronavirus but are not showing symptoms as confirmed Covid-19 cases. The new asymptomatic cases in Jilin are not part of the NHC’s daily case tally published on Monday and will be reflected on Tuesday.

RiYADH/WAsHingTOn agencies

The United States plans to designate Yemen’s Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organisation, three sources familiar with the matter said, a move that diplomats and aid groups worry could threaten peace talks and complicate efforts to combat the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

The decision to blacklist the group, which could be announced as soon as Monday according to two of the sources, comes as the administration of President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take over from the Trump administration on Jan. 20.

The Trump administration has been piling on sanctions related to Iran in recent weeks, prompting some Biden allies and outside analysts to conclude that Trump aides are seeking to make it harder for the incoming administration to re-engage with Iran and rejoin an international nuclear agreement. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

One person familiar with the matter said the Trump administration had worked out certain “allowances” to permit continued delivery of humanitarian supplies to Yemen and insisted that US sanctions rules in most cases leave room for aid organisations to

work. The source declined to elaborate.

The designation has been the subject of weeks of fierce debate within the Trump administration and internal disagreements over how to carve out exceptions for aid shipments held up a final decision on the blacklisting, which has been in the works for weeks, multiple sources have said.

A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015, backing government forces fighting the Houthi group. UN officials are trying to revive peace talks to end the war as the country’s suffering is also worsened by an economic and currency collapse and the Covid-19 pandemic.

The United Nations describes Yemen as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of the people in need of help. Top UN officials have warned that millions of people are facing famine and more money is needed to deliver aid.

The Houthi group, also known as Ansar Allah, is the de facto authority in northern Yemen and aid agencies have to work with it to deliver assistance. Aid workers and supplies also come in through Houthi-controlled Sanaa airport and Hodeidah port.

“This serves no interest at all,” Ryan Crocker, a retired US ambassador who served in the Middle East,

said of the designation. “Are there elements among the Houthis who have been involved in terrorist acts? Sure.

Just as with other groups in the Middle East.”

“The Houthis are an integral part of Yemeni society. They always have been. This is making a strategic enemy out of a local force that has been part of Yemen for generations. They are not Iranian pawns.”

In November, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Yemen was in “imminent danger of the worst famine the world has seen for decades,” warning against any unilateral moves as the United States threatened to blacklist the Houthis. A spokesman for Guterres declined to comment on Sunday. Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The US Treasury Department has the power to carve out exceptions by issuing special licenses to humanitarian groups to ship food and medical supplies to heavily sanctioned countries, as it has done with Iran and Venezuela.

But international relief officials have said such measures have often failed to unblock the flow of aid because banks and insurance companies are worried about running afoul of US sanctions and that this could also be the case with Yemen.

Trump remains defiant amid calls to resign WAsHingTOn agencies

President Donald Trump enters the last days of his presidency isolated and shunned by former allies and members of his own party as he faces a second impeachment and growing calls for his resignation after his supporters launched an assault on the nation’s Capitol in an effort to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.

Cut off from the social media channels that have been the lifeblood of his presidency, Trump will nonetheless try to go on offense in his last 10 days, with no plans of resigning.

Instead, Trump is planning to lash out against the companies that have now denied him his Twitter and Facebook bullhorns. And aides hope he will spend his last days trying to trumpet his policy accomplishments, beginning with a trip to Alamo, Texas, on Tuesday to highlight his administration’s efforts to curb illegal immigration and

border wall construction.

Trump’s decision to travel to Alamo — named after the San Antonio mission where a small group of Texans fighting for independence against the Mexican government were defeated after a 13-day siege — served as a symbol of his defiance as he faces the most volatile end of any presidency in modern history.

Trump has not taken any responsibility for his role in inciting Wednesday’s violence amid a rebellion from members of his own party and ongoing efforts to remove him from office. A second Republican senator, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, on Sunday called for Trump’s resignation after Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska told the Anchorage Daily News: “I want him out.” It was a stunning reversal for a man who had once been considered the leading contender for his party’s nomination in 2024 and could now be stripped of his ability to run for a second term.

A new ABC News/Ipsos poll re-

leased Sunday found that over half of Americans — 56 percent — believe that Trump should be removed from office before his term ends. And twothirds of respondents — 67 percent — said he deserves a “good amount” or a “great deal” of blame for the rioting last week. Trump had delivered a speech to his supporters in which he repeatedly said the election was being stolen and urged them to “fight” before they rushed the Capitol as lawmakers were in the process of certifying Biden’s wins.

The violent crowd forced its way inside, ransacked the building and sent terrified staff and lawmakers, including the vice president, into hiding.

Five, including a Capitol police officer, died.

Rattled by the violent insurrection and images of MAGA-loyalists hunting for them in the Capitol’s hallways, House Democrats moved quickly toward a second impeachment this week, though Republican Senate Leader

Mitch McConnell has said a trial in his chamber would not begin before Biden takes office.

While people close to Trump said they would certainly prefer he not become the only president in the nation’s history to be impeached a second time, Jason Miller, a close adviser, noted that Trump’s popularity rose after his first impeachment trial. And he argued that, if they moved forward, Democrats risk turning public sentiment against them and impeding Biden’s agenda by continuing to focus on Trump even after he has left the White House. “As I said to the president this morning, never discount national Democrats’ ability to galvanize the Republican base behind you,” said Miller, arguing that, if “national Democrats were to go down that path, I think it would boomerang on them very severely.”

“Joe Biden doesn’t want to spend the first 100 days of his presidency having to own a vindictive and overreaching impeachment trial,” he added.

Tuesday, 12 January, 2021

MisBaH WelCoMes PerforManCe analYsis, But not sCrutinY

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SportS deSk

ISBAH-UL-HAQ has played down talk of his days as head coach of the Pakistan team being numbered, saying that stakeholders in Pakistan cricket need to avoid “being reactive”. He added that he is hoping that the PCB cricket committee’s summons to him and Waqar Younis is only a discussion to help improve Pakistan cricket and not much more.

Misbah has a three-year contract with the PCB but his position - first as chief selector and chief coach and now as only the latter - has come in for scrutiny often in the recent past as losses have piled up for the team, most recently in New Zealand. When the PCB cricket committee meets him on Tuesday, it will be the second review of Misbah’s performance in three months. ESPNcricinfo understands that the review is a routine affair that broadly covers 2020-21 domestic and international season.

“There is scrutiny and then there is an analysis of any series, which is how it should be, and I don’t mind it,” Misbah told a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Monday. “But obviously there shouldn’t be any communication gap. We need confidence and continuity with no uncertainty.

“Improvement takes time and you can’t be overly reactive with it. We have young players and haven’t got experience in the side and that is why it’s taking some time to get favourable results, and this needs to be understood. I hope this com-

mittee isn’t for grilling me, but to help and share what they think needs to be done to get things better for the country.”

After Misbah came into the picture, the PCB took several bold decisions, such as removing Sarfaraz Ahmed as captain and dropping him from the team in all three formats. Soon after, Azhar Ali was made the Test captain while Babar Azam was chosen to lead the team in the limited-overs formats. However, after the England series last year, Ali was stripped off the captaincy and Azam made captain in all formats.

But with the results not being as good as expected, Misbah’s stocks appear to have taken a hit.

“There is always pressure on me being in this post, on the team, or the position in which Waqar bhai is,” Misbah said. “We are indeed disappointed about these results [Pakistan lost the Tests 2-0 and T20Is 2-1 in New Zealand most recently] because this is not on.

This is not the result we anticipated. Nobody needs to tell us, we know we need to improve as a team, we know we need to improve as a coaching team to get good results.

“But, at the same time, no sportsman in the world can be locked in a room for 19 days and then with just a week of preparation expected to beat a world-class team and that too in their

own conditions.

“I have no doubt about the commitment of my players. They are giving their best and there are performances we can take forward, but overall it’s not reflecting on the end result and that is where everyone is focusing. There are performances in phases and there were some great fightbacks we saw on the New Zealand tour. I know we are improving and when you judge the series, it doesn’t always give you a true picture.”

Prior to the tour of New Zealand, the contingent spent three days in Lahore, got on a flight to Auckland, and then spent 14 days in strict quarantine in Queenstown. The team effectively got six days of training before the first game. Before that, the Pakistani players were in a bio-bubble in England, as well as at home during the final leg of the PSL, the Zimbabwe series, the Quaid-eAzam Trophy and the National T20s.

“Bio-bubbles are affecting players mentally and physically and this isn’t just an excuse but a fact everyone is talking about,” Misbah said. “Moving from one bubble to another and maintaining the quality of cricket and player fitness is becoming a worry. If you look around in the cricket world, coaches like Mark Boucher, Mickey Arthur, Ravi Shastri, they are all facing the same problem.

“The preparatory camps aren’t serving the way they used to, and that it affecting the fitness of players. All of this is adding up and eventually reflecting on our performance. We have to find a way out to counter this situation.”

Defiant India stand firm for fighting draw in third Australia Test Sydney Agencies

A courageous and injury-wracked India pulled off a remarkable draw in a tense third Test against Australia on Monday as they survived against the hosts’ muchvaunted bowling attack to take the series into a decider.

They resumed day five at 98-2, needing a further 309 runs after being set a huge 407 to win, when Australia declared their second innings at tea on Sunday on 312 for six. No team had ever bettered 288 to clinch victory in the fourth innings at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with Australia achieving that mark against South Africa in 2006. But India gave it a massive go, passing 288 in the final session to fray the nerves of Australian team throwing everything they had at them.

The visitors abandoned any hope of victory but they bravely clung on for the draw with Hanuma Vihari, nursing a hamstring injury, surviving 161 balls

for just 23 runs and Ravi Ashwin, who had treatment on his ribs, making 39. They steered India to 334 for five at the close, 73 runs adrift. Their resistance was built on the back of an explosive 97 from Rishabh Pant and a typically gritty 77 from Cheteshwar Pujara, who passed 6,000 Test runs, but also helped by wicketkeeper Tim Paine dropping three catches.

It culminated an absorbing Test marked by some high quality batting, led by Steve Smith’s 131 and Pant’s 97, and razor-sharp fielding.

But it will also be remembered for allegations India were racially abused by sections of the Sydney Cricket Ground crowd, with investigations underway and tough action promised against anyone at fault.

After Australia won the first Test in Adelaide by eight wickets then India bounced back in Melbourne by the same margin, the series now heads to Brisbane later this week for the final chapter. It will be a depleted India again at the Gabba, with fast bowlers Mo-

hammed Shami and Umesh Yadav and batsmen KL Rahul out injured and question marks over all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who dislocated his thumb in Sydney.

Australia removed openers Shubman Gill for 31 and Rohit Sharma for 52 before stumps on day four, and when Nathan Lyon accounted for captain Ajinkya Rahane without adding to his overnight four in Monday’s second over the end appeared nigh.

But Pant, who took a nasty blow to his elbow while batting in the first innings and didn’t keep wicket on Sunday, surprisingly came in at number five ahead of Vihari and produced some fireworks.

He came to the wicket with no strapping on his hurt elbow and, after settling in and surviving a missed catch by Tim Paine on three, began to hit out, smacking a four and a six off Lyon on consecutive balls.

Batting in Twenty20-style, he then clobbered two more sixes in a row off Lyon before bringing up his third Test 50 off just 64 balls.

SPORTS 11 PCB’s cricket committee to review Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis’ performance ‘WE WILL DO A TRANSPARENT REVIEW OF THE WHOLE SEASON, STARTING FROM THE ENGLAND SERIES’ SportS deSk The PCB’s cricket committee will meet on Tuesday to review Pakistan’s 2020-21 season, including the team’s performance in the recent series against New Zealand.

Head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling Waqar Younis will both be debriefed on a tour where Pakistan lost the Tests 2-0 and T20Is 2-1.

One of the key agendas in Tuesday’s meeting would be to assess the performances of Misbah and Younis, who have both been under scrutiny for the team’s poor results lately. Batting coach Younis Khan, however, has been exempted. While the PCB had indicated after the New Zealand tour that there may be a shake-up in the coaching staff, the board’s chief executive Wasim Khan only confirmed a “transparent review” was in order.

“Committees will recommend whatever it is, good or bad, and after that Ehsan Mani will assess and take a final decision,” Wasim said. “At the moment, we can’t speculate and there should be a transparent evaluation of the performance. We will do the review of the whole season, starting from England series. There will be debate and there will be questions, but it doesn’t mean there will be definitely some changes. “Speculations are always there whenever we lose and new names (to replace the present) come up. It is disrespectful to Waqar and Misbah and nothing has changed as yet but their performances will be reviewed.” The committee had been formed in October 2018 to assist PCB chairman Ehsan Mani, but the responsibilities of the panel were limited to just recommendations. Saleem Yousaf, the new head of the committee, is the fourth incumbent in 26 months. The role of the committee broadly encompasses cricketing affairs, both domestically as well as internationally, but they aren’t allowed to interfere in day-to-day selection matters. While the committee has not been given any decision-making powers, they have been handed a wide remit. The committee meets three times a year; the upcoming meeting is the first of 2021. Ever since Misbah took charge of the team, the PCB has taken several bold decisions, such as removing Sarfaraz Ahmed as captain and dropping him from all three formats. Soon after, Azhar Ali was made the Test captain while Babar Azam was chosen to lead the team in the limited-overs formats. However, after the England series last year, Ali was also stripped off the captaincy, with the role handed to Azam. After another review last October, Misbah stepped down as Pakistan’s chief selector, but agreed to continue as head coach till 2022. When asked why the PCB hands three-year contracts to their coaches if the management is reviewed after every series, Wasim said, “There should be some continuity and security in contracts. We do give contracts in good faith and this cricket committee meeting will not necessarily recommend a change. This is purely a review and assessment of the cricket we have played so far.”

The meeting will be chaired by Yousaf, while other members Umar Gul, Urooj Mumtaz and Wasim Akram will join via video. The PCB said the committee’s recommendations would be announced in due course.

How the six PSL franchises stack up and their likely first XIs A quIck look AT how The TeAms mIghT lIne up AfTer The psl 2020 DrAfT SportS deSk The six franchises met in Lahore for the Pakistan Super League draft to pick their squad for the sixth edition of the tournament. Each side was given a window to retain a maximum of eight players. In total, each franchise must have a minimum of 16 players and can have another two. They break down as follows: three platinum players, three diamond, three gold, five silver, two emerging and two supplementary or in optional players. Teams can have a minimum of three overseas players or maximum four in their playing XI. The 16-man squad must include five foreign and 11 local players; while the 18-player squad can include six foreign and 12 local players or five foreign and 13 local players Lahore QaLandars draft picks: Ahmed Danyal (supplementary), Maaz Khan (emerging), Mohammad Faizan (silver), Joe Denly

(supplementary), Rashid Khan (platinum), Samit Patel (gold), Tom Abell, Salman Ali Agha (both silver), Zaid Alam (emerging), Zeeshan Ashraf (silver) retained: Ben Dunk (gold); David Wiese (diamond); Dilbar Hussain (gold); Fakhar Zaman (diamond, brand ambassador); Haris Rauf (diamond); Mohammad Hafeez; Shaheen Shah Afridi (both platinum) and Sohail Akhtar (silver, successful relegation request) potentiaL first Xi: Fakhar Zaman, Sohail Akhtar, Zaid Alam, Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk, Samit Patel, David Wiese, Rashid Khan, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, Dilbar Hussain isLamabad United draft picks: Hasan Ali (platinum)*, Ahmed Saifi Abdullah (emerging), Akif Javed (supplementary), Chris Jordon (supplementary), Iftikhar Ahmed (silver), Lewis Gregory (diamond), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (emerging), Phil Salt (gold), Rohail Nazir, Reece Topley (both silver) retained: Alex Hales (Platinum, traded from Karachi Kings), Asif Ali (gold), Colin Munro (diamond), Faheem Ashraf (diamond), Hussain Talat (gold, brand ambassador), Musa Khan (silver, successful relegation request), Shadab Khan (platinum), Zafar Gohar (silver, successful relegation re-

quest) potentiaL first Xi: Alex Hales, Colin Munro, Shadab Khan, Hussain Talat, Asif Ali, Phil Salt, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Zafar Gohar, Musa Khan karachi kings draft picks: Chadwick Walton (gold), Dan Christian (diamond), Danish Aziz (silver), Joe Clarke (silver), Mohammad Nabi (diamond), Mohammad Ilyas (silver), Noor Ahmed (supplementary), Qasim Akram (emerging), Zeeshan Malik (silver) retained: Aamer Yamin (gold); Arshad Iqbal (emerging); Babar Azam (platinum); Colin Ingram (platinum, traded from Islamabad United); Imad Wasim (diamond, successful relation request); Mohammad Amir (platinum); Sharjeel Khan gold) and Waqas Maqsood (silver, brand ambassador) potentiaL first Xi: Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Colin Ingram, Dan Christian, Imad Wasim, Chadwick Walton, Mohammad Nabi, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Amir, Waqas Maqsood, Arshad Iqbal mULtan sULtans draft picks: Adam Lyth (silver), Carlos Brathwaite (supplementary), Chris Lynn, Imran Khan Snr (supplementary), Moham-

CMYK

mad Rizwan (silver), Mohammad Umar (emerging), Shahnawaz Dhani (emerging), Sohaib Maqsood, Sohaibullah, Sohail Khan (all silver) retained: Shahid Afridi (platinum), Imran Tahir (diamond, mentor); James Vince (gold); Khushdil Shah (diamond); Rilee Rossouw (platinum); Shan Masood (gold, successful relegation request); Sohail Tanvir (Diamond, brand ambassador); Usman Qadir (gold) potentiaL first Xi: Chris Lynn, James Vince, Shan Masood, Rilee Rossouw, Mohammad Rizwan, Khushdil Shah, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Sohail Khan, Imran Tahir, Shahnawaz Dhani peshawar ZaLmi draft picks: Abrar Ahmed (emerging), Amad Butt (gold), David Miller (platinum) Imam-ul-Haq (silver), Liam Livingstone (gold), Mohammad Amir Khan (supplementary), Mohammad Irfan Snr, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Randhawa (all silver), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (diamond), Ravi Bopara (supplementary), Saqib Mahmood (silver), Sherfane Rutherford (diamond), Umaid Asif (silver) retained: Haider Ali (gold); Kamran Akmal (diamond, successful relegation request); Liam Livingstone (gold); Shoaib Malik and Wahab Riaz (both platinum)

potentiaL first Xi: Haider Ali, Liam Livingstone, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Ravi Bopara, Amad Butt, Wahab Riaz, Umaid Asif, Mohammad Irfan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Imran QUetta gLadiators draft picks: Abdul Nasir (silver), Arish Ali Khan (emerging), Cameron Delport (silver), Chris Gayle (platinum), Dale Steyn (supplementary), Qais Ahmed (silver), Saim Ayub (emerging) Tom Banton (platinum), Usman Khan (supplementary), Usman Shinwari (gold) and Zahid Mahmood (silver, brand ambassador) retained: Anwar Ali (silver, successful relegation request); Azam Khan (gold); Ben Cutting (diamond); Mohammad Hasnain (diamond); Mohammad Nawaz (diamond); Naseem Shah (gold); Sarfaraz Ahmed (platinum) and Zahid Mahmood (silver, brand ambassador) potentiaL first Xi: Chris Gayle, Tom Banton, Azam Khan, Cameron Delport, Ben Cutting, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Zahid Mahmood, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Arish Ali *Islamabad United used a wildcard to pick Hasan Ali from Diamond category as this year rules allowed each team to pick a player from Silver category and above in any category between Gold and Platinum.

Tuesday, 12 January, 2021

PrAyer TIMINGS

NEWS

Fajr SunrISe

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aSr MaGhrIb ISha

5:45

12:16

3:40

7:13

5:18

6:46

‘We’re fighTing hisToricAl poverTy And inflATion’, sAys BilAWAl in MAkAlAnd

p

neWs DesK

AKISTAN People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, while addressing the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) power show in Makaland on Monday, said that the opposition alliance was fighting “historical poverty and inflation”.

“Each citizen of Malakand has only one demand and that is for the ‘selected’ to go.

These ‘tabdeeli’ peddlers are frauds,” the PPP chairman said, declaring that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government was “incompetent and corrupt”.

“Consider today’s rally a referendum,” he added.

They want to steal the Constitution but as long as the people of Malakand are standing with us, we will not allow them to do so,” he told the crowd, adding that the the PDM would not allow the ruling party to purportedly steal the rights and the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award of the region.

The PPP leader claimed that the Centre had withheld Rs160 billion which was due to be paid to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) last year while highlighting the problems the country’s middle-class and poor segments were facing.

“This is Naya Pakistan”.

“Even Afghanistan and Bangladesh are growing at a more rapid rate than Pakistan,” he claimed. He added that the PPP had envisioned the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passing through KP, but this was not made possible due to the inefficient incumbent government.

He said the people of KP would not bow before terrorists or dictators. Lambasting Prime Minister Imran Khan, Bilawal claimed that while the students of Army Public School where being “slaughtered”, Imran Khan was “dancing”.

“The murderer of our children, [former Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman] Ehsanullah Ehsan, has been released by this government of Imran Khan; we have not been able to provide justice to the parents of APS children in this government. We cannot show our faces to them [to tell them that] the murderer of your children was in our grasp and this cowardly government of Imran Khan allowed him to escape,” he said.

Moving on the the recent Mach tragedy, he asked how could the premier call the victims “blackmailers”.

“What kind of justice is this? Instead of going to the victims, the prime minister called them to him,” he said. Bilawal said that PM Imran has proved that “blood is cheaper in Naya Pakistan than life”, adding

Trump faces 'incitement of insurrection' impeachment charge Agencies As the House prepares for impeachment, President Donald Trump faces a single charge — “incitement of insurrection” — over the deadly riot at the US Capitol, according to a draft of the articles obtained by The Associated Press. Lawmakers are set to introduce the legislation on Monday, with voting mid-week. Pelosi’s leadership team will also seek a quick vote on a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence and Cabinet officials to invoke the 25th Amendment. The four-page impeachment bill draws from Trump’s own false statements about his election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden; his pressure on state officials in Georgia to “find” him more votes; and his White House rally ahead of the Capitol siege, in which he encouraged thousands of supporters to “fight like hell” before they stormed the building on Wednesday. A violent and largely white mob of Trump supporters overpowered police, broke through security lines and windows and rampaged through the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to scatter as they were finalising Biden’s victory over Trump in the Electoral College. “President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government,” the legislation said. The bill from Reps David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu of California, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Jerrold Nadler of New York, said Trump threatened “the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power” and “betrayed” trust. “He will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office,” they wrote. Rep Adam Schiff, D-Ca, told CBS on Monday, “We need to move forward with alacrity.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will proceed with legislation to impeach Trump as she pushes the vice president and the Cabinet to invoke constitutional authority to force him out, warning that Trump is a threat to democracy after the deadly assault on the Capitol. In pictures: Chaos, violence, mockery as proTrump mob occupies Congress A Republican senator, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, joined Republican Sen Lisa Murkowski of Alaska over the weekend in calling for Trump to “resign and go away as soon as possible.”

Matter of urgency Lawmakers warned of the damage the president could still do before Joe Biden is inaugurated Jan 20. Trump, holed up at the White House, was increasingly isolated after a mob rioted in the Capitol in support of his false claims of election fraud. Judges across the country, including some nominated

by Trump, repeatedly dismissed cases and Attorney General William Barr, a Trump ally, said there was no sign of any widespread fraud.

that they will provide justice to people.

“The people of Malakand have been tolerating this inefficient, illegitimate government for the past seven years. […] Whatever they promised turned out to be lies and betrayals,” he said. He added that the PPP had introduced the 18th Amendment to get provinces recognition and their rights.

All promises he and his party had made to the people were fulfilled, he said, adding that his grandfather, former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, had promised to abolish the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) system and made good on it.

PDM President and Jamiat Ulema-eIslam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman also addressed the supporters of the opposition alliance, and said: “this sea of people would remove this government from power”.

“Our struggle is against those who snatched the mandate of the people,” he said, declaring that the PTI was determined to tamper with the rights given to the people through the Constitution.

The PDM chief taunted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to come and arrest him and asked why the anti-graft watchdog could not see the corruption of the ruling party.

Retorting to the statements of Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) Director Gen-

eral Major General Babar Iftikhar, Fazl said: “Those who are offering us chai-pani should eat pizzas themselves.”

Fazl declared that the PDM would continue and that the entire nation would march towards Islamabad and Rawalpindi. “The military leadership has to explain whether it is a party and if it is a party, then our protest is justified,” he added.

The PDM chief said that there is no democracy in Pakistan today and “a martial law was in place similar to that of General Zia and General Musharraf”.

“Will bring true democracy in the country with the help of the nation against this ‘dictatorship’”. He further alleged that the current rulers were funded by external elements. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz could not attend the rally, but in her steed, PML-N’s KP chapter chief Amir Muqam addressed the crowd.

Maqam said that PM Imran’s status in this government is not more than a mere ‘puppet’. “We are protesting because this government doesn’t know how to rule,” he added. “This incompetent [man] has made Pakistan extremely indebted to other countries and international organisations,” he said. He declared that PM Imran was a “synonym of lies and hypocrisy” who could only

Aafia refused to sign mercy petition, Washington mission informs IHC isLAMABAD INP

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) was informed on Monday that Dr Aafia Siddiqui refused to meet Pakistan’s consul general in Houston who visited the prison where she is completing her jail term to seek her consent for filing a mercy petition before the United States Department of Justice (DoJ).

Siddiqui, 48, a neuroscientist, was handed 86 years in prison by a US judge in 2010 after she was convicted of “shooting” at Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and soldiers after her claimed arrest in Afghanistan.

Islamabad has since been trying to repatriate the scientist but achieved little success.

During the hearing in a petition seeking information about measures taken for her release, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs submitted a report in the court of Justice Aamer Farooq, stating that consular visits in Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Carswell — a prison in Texas for female inmates of all security levels — had been suspended by the prison authorities over Covid-19 threats. As a result, it said, all the scheduled meetings including that of the consul general with Siddiqui had

been put on hold.

However, the report added, the diplomat remained in touch with the prison authorities in order to get updates on the health and well-being of the scientist, which were regularly shared with her family. Due to efforts of the Pakistan embassy in Washington DC, a special consular visit was arranged in Houston to meet the inmate on September 4, 2020, it said.

During the meeting, according to the report, Siddiqui informed the consul general that her Covid-19 test came negative. “Dr. Aafia was alert in her conversation with the Consul General.

She also informed the Consul General that she had recently been examined by her psychiatrist who declared her [mentally sound and] well,” it read.

Subsequently, on December 28, the ministry’s additional secretary (Americas) held a telephonic conversation with Siddiqui’s sister, Dr Fouzia Siddiqui, during which the former briefed the latter about the last consular visit and the latest status of the mercy petition.

Following the signing of the petition by Siddiqui during the December 2019 consular visit, the embassy had approached the DoJ for further course of action, the report said, adding the

Office of the Pardon Attorney, DoJ advised the mission that a signed petition could only be filed by the inmate themself by post, through the jail warden or through her appointed attorney.

In the absence of a counsel, the only other option was that the inmate files the petition herself through the prison warden.

“To address this caveat, our Consul General in Houston planned a visit to FMC to meet Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. The meeting was scheduled on March 27, 2020, which was cancelled due to [the] Covid-19 pandemic. As an alternative, the petition was sent to FMC so that it could be forwarded to DoJ, however, FMC informed that Dr. Aafia refused to sign the additional consent form for dispatching the petition to DoJ,” it said.

“Consul general approached prison authorities for consular access at the earliest possibility. Only after the intervention of our Embassy in Washington, a special consular visit was arranged for Consul General on 24th September 2020, however, [the] consent form couldn’t be signed during that meeting.”

“Consul General again went to meet Dr. Aafia on 15th December 2020 but prison authorities informed him that Dr. Aafia Siddiqui had refused to meet him,” the report said.

blame others for his own mistakes.

“At least show the accountability of the foreign-funding case,” Muqam demanded, adding that “inflation” had plunged the country into “darkness”.

“The one who lies the most in this government is promoted and rewarded,” he said, while criticising the premier for the breakdown in the power grid on Saturday.

Muqam said that Pakistan’s youth have pinned their hopes of a better future on PMLN VP Maryam and PPP Chairman Bilawal.

The rally took place at Zafar Park in Batkhela, Malakand, with seating arrangements having been made for up to 10,000 participants. All security arrangements and preparations have also been made for the rally.

Bilawal had been the first of the opposition leaders to reach the venue, and is accompanied by former prime ministers Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf.

Calling people to join the rally on Twitter, Bilawal said that opposition parties’ campaign is against inflation, corruption and injustices of “incompetent, illegitimate and puppet” rule of PTI. During the last rally in Bannu, PDM President Fazl had said that the march would either be towards the federal capital or to the army headquarters. He had also announced a sit-in outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Anti-polio drive starts across country to vaccinate over 40m ISLAMABAD: A five-day polio immunisation drive commenced across the country on Monday with a target to vaccinate over 40.1 million children against the crippling disease.

The first anti-polio drive of 2021 would continue till January 15, including three days of vaccination and two days of catch-up activities in high-risk areas. A supplementary dose of vitamin-A drops will also be administered to the children aged six to 59 months during this campaign to help build general immunity to protect them from polio and other diseases.

According to Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, around 285,000 polio frontline workers will visit parents and caregivers at their doorstep, adhering to strict Covid-19 precautionary measures and protocols while vaccinating children. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Dr Faisal Sultan, in a statement, said that the government is committed to achieving the goal of a polio-free Pakistan. In Punjab, 48,000 teams have been formed to vaccinate over twenty million children. In Sindh, nine million children will be vaccinated and administered vitamin A drops during the campaign. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 21,000 teams will administer vaccines to above seven million children. In Balochistan, over 10,000 teams will ensure provision of vaccines to 2.4 million children in a door-to-door campaign. Polio teams will also be available at bus stops, railway stations, Afghan refugees’ camps and other public places for the purpose. TLTP

Pakistan finally notifies GI rules to protect domestic products in int’l market isLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAS

After a lapse of around 18 years, Pakistan on Monday finally approved and notified geographical indication (GI) rules to protect its domestic products in the international market.

The rules were approved in a fast move after the country was caught unaware when India applied for an exclusive GI tag to Basmati rice in the European Union (EU) in September 2020. Pakistan was also facing registration issues regarding domestic products in the international market as local items were not protected through the GI law.

As per the approved rules, a copy of which is available with Profit, at least 79 products, including Basmati Rice, Khanpur Khwa, Bahawalpur Chunri, Bhakkar Karna Oil, Khewra Pink Salt, Chitrali Embroidery, Hunza Apricot, Sukkur

Dates etc., have been protected through the GI law.

“GI identifies agricultural, natural and manufactured goods originating, manufactured or produced in a territory, region or locality as determined by the country, where a given quality, reputation, characteristics, ingredients or components are essentially attributable to its geographical origin,” the rules stated. “In the case of manufactured goods, the production, processing or preparation of the specified product takes place in a certain territory, region or locality.”

To implement GI rules, the concerned division shall establish a GI Registry under the management and control of IPO Pakistan. Trademarks Registry and its branches established under the Trademarks Ordinance, 2001 (XIX of 2001) shall carry out functions of the GI Registry and its branches till a separate GI Registry is established under the said Act.

The rules include the procedure of application, assessment, conformity of GI with a book of specification, opposition to the application, duration, renewal, removal and restoration of registration, infringement of GI, grant of certificate, prohibition on transfer etc.

Apart from the registration of domestic products, the GI rules also define law about registering foreign GI. As per the rule, a geographical indication of a foreign country shall be registered in Pakistan as long as it is registered in accordance with the local legislation in its country of origin.

The title and date of the legislative or administrative provisions or of judicial decisions regarding protection to the geographical indication in the country of origin shall be considered for accepting foreign GI application.

The registry shall not allow the registration of a foreign GI which is not or has ceased to be protected in its country of ori-

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 051-2204545. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk

gin, or which has fallen into disuse in that country. The application for registration of foreign GI shall be made at the registry by its legal representative in Pakistan.

During the registration procedure, the registry may require the applicant or legal representative to submit information related to registration in the country of origin which may affect its registration in Pakistan. It may be mentioned here that a product has to be protected under the GI laws of a country before applying for registration for the protection of any product’s GI tagging.

Earlier, there were no rules of the GI Registration and Protection Act 2020, enacted in March this year, which was why Pakistan’s basmati was not a protected product.

India’s claim to Basmati was challenged earlier this month, with Pakistan arguing that basmati rice was a product of both India and Pakistan.